Legend of Albion
by AryaTindomiel
Summary: What if Morgana had her own guide to advise her? What if Gaius and Merlin acknowledged Morgana's gifts and helped her? What if Arthur wasn't so oblivious to the magic around him? And Uther so narrowed-minded? My version of how Merlin could have been, starting from S1E01.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: So, this is basically, this is my version of how the show could have gone starting from episode 1 of season 1 onward (until I find a good stopping point, may go into season 5). Will have hints of the legend, other stories, books, and lines from external sources, but of course with my own changes and twists. Also, will include numerous OCs. There will also be a prequel to this coming out later when I feel that I won't spoil anything in this story with what is written in the prequel. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin and any of the quotes you may recognize aside from those in Merlin.**

* * *

The Dragon's Call

No young person no matter how great can ever know their destiny. They cannot glimpse their part in the great story that shall unfold – they must live and learn. And so it will be for the young persons who will, in time, aid in the coming of a legend. In this land of myth and this time of magic, the destiny of a great kingdom rests on their shoulders. Only they can ensure the legacy of Albion's union, but many obstacles lie before them. So they must always remember – prophecies and destinies are only part of the journey, not the end of it. For only the journey is written not the destination.

**._._._.**

A dragon fumes deep within the caverns underneath the castle of Camelot. Had not for the ruthless Uther Pendragon, the dragon would be free amongst his kind. But alas, a tyrant afraid of magic killed every last dragon, but him. The Great Dragon was the title they gave him, for he was able to survive the extermination of his kind. However, there were others who were worthier of the title than he, Kilgharrah. For his survival, he was awarded imprisonment.

It has been over twenty years and the dragon, of course, has not forgotten Uther's crimes. Every day, his anger grew more and more violent. He fiercely awaited the day, he would have his revenge.

And he senses that that day is coming soon. Although still quite a distance away, poignant despite the aura of cursed Le Fay magic that overtook the city, the dragon could sense the powers of the legendary Emrys – still a boy, still naïve.

The dragon smirks sadistically in the darkness. This boy would be the key, the key to his escape, to his freedom, his revenge, the end of the Le Fays, and the downfall of the Pendragons.

* * *

A young boy strolls through the gates of Camelot with an energized stride. He notes the amount of activity surrounding him while he makes his way through the lower town. The boy marvels at the grand structure of the castle as he walks toward the sound of horns and the beating of drums. He cuts through the crowd to better view the spectacle the people are observing.

A man being brought out by two guards is seen. He is set on the platform as a powerful voice speaks from the balcony of the castle.

"Let this serve as a lesson to all. This man, Thomas James Collins, is adjudged guilty of conspiring to use enchantments and magic and pursuant to the laws of Camelot. I, Uther Pendragon, have decreed that such practices are banned on penalty of death. I pride myself as a fair and just king, but for the crime of sorcery there is but one sentence I can pass." The man nods his head and lifts a hand signaling to the executioner.

The crowd had listened solemnly, but now they watch with fear as Thomas Collins is beheaded.

A woman wearing blue is watching the execution from inside the castle looks away with a pained expression. The other woman in green standing beside her simply looks down, emotionless.

Uther speaks again when the gasps die down. "When I came to this land, this kingdom was mired in chaos, but with the people's help, magic was driven from the realm. So I declare a festival to celebrate twenty years since the Great Dragon was captured and Camelot freed from the evil of sorcery. Let the celebrations begin!"

As the crowd begins to disperse, an anguished cry is heard. The people move away from the woman who screamed. She takes a step and declares, "There is only one evil in this land and it is not magic. It is you! With your hatred and your ignorance! You took my son." Uther even has a bit of shame written on his face, while the depths of his sky blue eyes betray his hidden secrets. "But I promise you, before these celebrations are over, you will share my tears – an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, and a son for a son!"

This strikes a nerve. "Seize her," the king commands. The elder woman quickly takes holds of her pendant, screeches a spell, and escapes being captured; disappearing into a whirl of wind and smoke.

The two women in the castle turn away and shut the window as the crowd scatters.

* * *

A young woman is casually making her way to the castle gardens when she hears a crash. She quickens her pace, but stops just behind the door when she sees a stranger in the Court Physician's chambers.

"Wh-What did you just do?" the physician asks.

"Umm" the boy hesitates, not sure how to explain.

"Tell me!" The elder man demands.

The boy starts to stammer words of innocence, but Gaius knows what he saw. As the older man continues to prod for information, the younger continues to defend himself.

With wide eyes, he inquires, "Where did you study? Answer me!"

"I've...I've never studied magic or been taught." He informs the physician.

Narrowing his eyes, "Are you lying to me, boy?" he questions.

At a loss, "What do you want me to say?"

"The truth" Gaius answers.

The boy admits, "I was born like this."

"That's impossible!" the old man exclaims.

The woman – still behind the door – smirks. _Of course, you would say that Gaius._

"Who are you?"

"Oh, um, I have this letter." The boy reaches into his knapsack and pulls out said item.

Shaking his head, "I don't have my glasses."

The stranger smiles slightly and says, "I'm Merlin."

Gaius then realizes who the boy is, "Hunith's son."

"Yes"

"But you're not meant to be here until Wednesday."

The woman chuckles silently. _'It is Wednesday Gaius'_. The boy voices her thoughts. Realizing that it was the end of the conversation, the woman shrinks back. As quickly and as quietly as a shadow, she walks around the corner. A bristling feeling that this boy is more important than he appears to be. She senses that she will have to keep a close eye on this Merlin.

* * *

As a woman stares outs the window, she hears a door open and footsteps moving toward her.

"Morgana."

The woman turns to the king, "Yes?"

"What is it? Why are you not joining us at the feast?" Uther questions as he moves closer to the young woman.

Lifting her thin brows, "I just don't think chopping someone's head off is cause for a celebration." She states challengingly. Looking back out the window, "That poor mother..."

The king sighs, "It was simple justice for what he'd done," Uther states.

"To whom?" she questions incredulously. "He practiced some magic. He didn't hurt anyone."

"You were not around twenty years ago. You have no idea what it was like." His ward is always like this, always questioning his actions and always disapproving of them, all the while being ignorant to the things going on in the shadows.

"How long are you going to keep punishing people for what happened then?" It almost sounds like a demand.

"Until they realize there is no room for magic in my kingdom. You will be with me when I greet Lady Helen." He goes to leave the room.

The Lady jumps to refuse, "I told you I want no part in these celebrations-"

Uther's temper quickly rises. "I'm your guardian! I expect you to do as I ask. Even Estella has courtesy enough to attend all our formal gatherings without loud rebellion."

"As your niece she feels obligated to do so." Morgana informs firmly.

"Then, you as my ward shall show some respect to our finest singer, if not to me."

As the king storms out, Morgana warns, "You know the more brutal you are, the more enemies you will create." She doesn't know how right she is.

* * *

Merlin is walking through the training grounds when he spots a group of young men with a servant. The warlock watches disapprovingly as the golden-haired one torments the poor boy. Soon, he decides to intervene.

"Hey, come on, that's enough."

The golden man looks at him with incredulity, "What?"

"You've had your fun, my friend." The boy clarifies.

The young man walks over to Merlin. "Do I know you?"

"Uh, I'm Merlin, so I don't-" he reaches out to shake the other man's hand, but seeing that the gesture was not welcome he put his hand back down and answers, "No."

"Yet, you called me _friend_." The man accuses.

'_He obviously isn't accustomed to people speaking up to him.'_ Merlin nods slightly. "That was my mistake."

"Yes, I think so," he nods in agreement.

"Yeah, I've never had a friend who could be such an ass." Merlin chokes out something between a scoff and a laugh.

The golden-haired one scoffs as the dark-haired boy tries to walk away. "Or I one who could be so _stupid_; tell me, Merlin, do you know how to walk on your knees?"

Merlin continues to try and reign in the other boy's arrogance, but he soon finds that such loftiness is justified.

"Who do you think you are, the king?" Merlin grunts as the other man roughly holds his arm twisted behind his back.

"No, I'm his son, Arthur." The young man declares.

And with that, the guards take the young warlock into the dungeons.

* * *

Morgana stands beside Estella, awaiting the arrival of Lady Helen. As the aforementioned guest walks with grace toward them, Uther descends his throne to meet her.

"Lady Helen, thank you so much for coming to sing at our celebrations."

"Pleasure's all mine," the woman says with a smile as she rises from her curtsy.

"How was your journey?" The king inquires.

The woman makes a show of weariness, "Oh, the time it took, Sire."

"Well, it's always worth the wait." Uther says as he kisses Lady Helen's hand.

"It will be," she agrees as she fingers her pendant.

Estella observes the woman closely. The girl sees the hidden slyness in her face and she could almost smell the spell on her – this woman is _not _Lady Helen of Mora. The aura of magic radiating off the guest is faintly familiar to the king's niece and it takes her a few moments to realize why – _Lady Helen_ is Mary Collins in disguise, returning to Camelot not for the festivities, but her revenge (and this is not new at all to Estella).

* * *

Gaius is able to get Merlin out of prison, but he has to face the stocks to compensate for his insult to the prince of Camelot.

When the villagers decide to take a short break to gather more vegetables, Merlin catches sight of something near him. He looks up to see a rather pretty, dark-skinned girl in a scarlet cloak.

She smiles and says, "I'm Guinevere, but most people call me Gwen. I'm the Lady Morgana's personal maid."

The boy nods in acknowledgment. "Well, I'm Merlin," the two awkwardly shake hands, "Although, most people just call me idiot."

"No, no, no I saw what you did, it was so brave." The girl praises.

"It was stupid," Merlin admits.

She nods with a small amount of pity, "Well, I'm glad you walked away you weren't gonna beat him."

"Oh, I could beat him." The boy says confidently.

The girl furrows her brows, "You could?" she asks, skeptically, "Because you don't look like these big muscley kind of fellows."

Merlin is slightly offended but he says, "Thanks."

Gwen, realizing her missteps immediately becomes flustered. "No, no, I'm sure you're stronger than you look. It's just… Arthur's one these rough-tough-save-the-world kind of men…and you don't look like that."

Merlin beckons her closer and speaks softly, "I'm in disguise."

The maid, contemplating on whether the boy is mad or simply joking, decides to laugh and he quickly joins her. They continue to discuss Arthur and Gwen praises Merlin, again. The girl quickly leaves when the boy's 'fans' arrive, though.

* * *

Estella is making her way back to the castle from the market when she spots Arthur with a group of his friends and…Merlin? Curiosity wins her over. She joins the crowd that is forming to view the spectacle.

"I warn you," Arthur states as he swings the mace, "I've been trained to kill since birth."

To this Estella snorts. _'Sure, Arthur, but no matter how good you are at combat, your opponent has something you don't have'._ The king's niece has half a mind to hit her cousin, so he can remember and be thankful that she is always on his side, no matter the circumstances (unless Morgana is involved, that is).

"Wow, how long have you been training to be a prat?" the warlock questions.

Arthur scoffs, although he seems slightly entertained. "You can't address me like that."

"Sorry, h-how long have you been training to be a prat, _my Lord_?" Merlin slightly bows mockingly.

Estella shakes her head. _'This is not going to be pretty'_. Arthur, of course, shows off his prowess, having the upper hand for most of the 'dual'. However, Merlin uses his magic to maneuver the situation to his own advantage… His tactics do not last for long. Arthur is able to knock Merlin off his feet, but he has the guards let the boy go.

"There's something about you, Merlin." Arthur comments.

'_If only you knew.'_

"I can't quite put my finger on it."

As the prince walks away, his cousin catches up to him. "Wonderful show there, Arthur."

"Oh, so you witnessed that, did you?" he asks with a grin.

"Of course, although… I'm surprised you said such a thing out loud."

Arthur's taken aback, "What?"

"_There's something about you,_" she quotes. "That is usually your line whenever you are about to declare you 'love' for someone." Estella smirks as Arthur suddenly stops abruptly.

Arthur knows Estella doesn't mean what she just said, but still. "I don't understand why you have such a wicked and somewhat twisted mind."

The Lady shrugs. "It keeps life interesting." To this, the prince rolls his eyes. An action she mimics. "Alright, I'll leave you to your princely duties. Morgana wants to see me anyway." She nudges his shoulder and continues on her way back to the castle.

* * *

_ "How small you are for such a great destiny," the dragon comments._

_The warlock is confused. "Why? What do you mean? What destiny?"_

_The dragon explains, "Your gift, Merlin, was given to you for a reason."_

_"So there is a reason!" He exclaims with interest._

_The dragon nods, "Arthur is the Once and Future King who will unite the land of Albion..."_

_"Right?" the boy drawls incredulously._

_The creature continues, "But he faces many threats from friend and foe alike."_

_Merlin is even more baffled. "I don't see what this has to do with me."_

_"Everything; without you, Arthur will never succeed. Without you, there will be no Albion!"_

_Shaking his head, "No! No, you've got this wrong!"_

_"There is no right or wrong. Only what is and what isn't." The dragon declares._

_"But I'm serious! If anyone wants to go and kill him, they can go ahead. In fact, I'll give them a hand." __Merlin tells the creature with all seriousness intended._

_The dragon laughs. "None of us can choose our destiny, Merlin. And none of us can escape it."_

_"No, no way, no, no – there must be another Arthur, because this one's an idiot."_

_"Perhaps it's your destiny to change that." With that said the dragon flies up the cavern._

_**...**_

Estella inhales sharply as the vision ends. Uncrossing her legs, she moves off the cushioned corner and closes the curtains hiding her meditation area. Looking out the window, she gathers her thoughts together.

She knows now that she was correct in her suspicions – Merlin will become the legendary Emrys and Emrys shall stand as the protector of King Arthur (though he already has her and Morgana). However, Estella feels fear in her heart.

The so-called Great Dragon doesn't know anything about human emotions; therefore, she knows that the dragon is planning on simply filling Merlin's head with the ideas of a great destiny for the warlock in exchange for its freedom and chance for revenge. The future that the dragon desires is the one she will _not_ allow.

The dragon's call has been answered, but its ambitions will not.

* * *

Morgana walks out of the stables and towards her chambers, when the prince suddenly appears at her side. "What is it, Arthur, were you lonely without me around?"

The prince snorts, "I'd rather enjoy the company of my manservant than yours. Were you riding without a guard again?"

"And what if I was?"

His eyes harden (he won't admit it, but he fears for her safety). "You know, there are such a thing as bandits and wicked men like in the fairytales we were told as children. And they would not hesitate to go after-"

"-Damsels-in-distress?" she finishes for him, "Well, it is a good thing that I am not one."

"You're still a woman," Arthur points out.

"And what of it?" the ward snaps. "Simply because I am not a man, I cannot defend myself?"

He grins in the annoying (yet rather endearing) way, "Exactly."

She nearly growls, "Why you chauvinistic-"

The prince then veers away from her, "Sorry, Morgana, I have to get training, see you tonight."

The young woman narrows her eyes at his retreating back and his laughing at his so-called triumph, oh she would get him back for this.

_**...**_

Gaius wakes Merlin and sends him to deliver the Lady Morgana's draught to her. After getting lost and getting directions, the boy finally finds his way to the griffin staircase and ascends them.

When he reaches his destination, Merlin stops for a moment as his vision is filled with the sight of the most beautiful woman he has even seen.

"You know I've been thinking about Arthur," Morgana starts casually as she walks behind the screen, "I wouldn't touch him with a lance pole. Pass me that dress, will you, Gwen."

The warlock stumbles at the woman's mistake, but picks up the dress and walks towards Morgana. "I mean the man's a total jouster. Just because I'm the king's ward doesn't mean I have to accompany him to the feast, does it?" Merlin drapes the garment on the screen. "Well does it?" she demands.

Merlin attempts to mimic Gwen as best he could, "Mm-Mmm."

"If he wants me to go he should invite me, but he hasn't. So, do you know what that means?" Again, Morgana received an answer with no words. "Where are you?"

The warlock picks up her cloak to hide his face as he squeaks, "Here"

"It means I'm going by myself. I need some help with this fastening." Merlin thinks it now the right time to flee; he turns around and sees Gwen. "Gwen?"

"I'm here," the maid answers.

She gives Merlin a questioning look to which he explains that he is there to give Morgana her sleeping draught and Gwen is quick to understand, taking the bottle from him. The two share a smile as Merlin leaves and Gwen goes behind the screen.

"So, it's whether I wear this little tease." The Lady holds the wine-colored garment to her chest. "Or give them a night they'll really remember." Morgana says as Gwen gives her mistress a soft laugh.

* * *

The banquet hall is crowded when Estella arrives. Many eyes are on her, but she is accustomed to it. People like to say that Estella and Morgana are the most beautiful women in Camelot and perhaps in all of Albion (taking after their identical twin mothers, greatly). The two women are too similar in appearance to surpass the other. They both are tall and slim, with long, raven hair and light colored eyes, but where Morgana's are the color of the shallow sea – green and enchanting, Estella's resembles the moon – gray and ethereal. Although, her bright blue, silk gown make her eyes seem like the cerulean morning sky, tonight.

Estella joins Arthur with a group of his friends and she starts to converse with them. Though, Arthur's friends seem to be more interested in staring at her and praising her beauty. Arthur, of course, jokingly chides them for it (although he is very protective and slightly possessive of his dear cousin). Sir Owain, a young knight who trained alongside Arthur, standing at the prince's right (and is Estella's secret liaison) looks rather indignant, but tries to cover it (he is possessive, as well).

Morgana then arrives garbed in a wine colored gown that reveals quite a bit of skin, even more so than Estella. It's no wonder why all eyes are on her as she gracefully walks through the hall.

Estella smirks as she hears Arthur whisper, "_God have mercy_."

When the prince recovers, he quickly excuses himself and makes his way toward Morgana. His cousin cannot help, but laugh. She, in turn, maneuvers her way to Merlin and Gwen.

**...**

"She looks great, doesn't she?" inquires Gwen as she admires her mistress.

"Yeah," Merlin says, clearly charmed and unable to keep his eyes off Morgana.

"Some people are just born to be Queen," Gwen remarks.

"No," Merlin responds with shock, grasping the subtle meaning of her statement.

Gwen doesn't seem to notice his surprise. "I hope so… one day!" Her smile falters a bit as she mumbles, "Though, it's unfortunate that she has to marry Arthur to have the title." Merlin suddenly laughs. "What?"

"Well, Gwen, it's refreshing of you to speak so ill of the prince." Smiling he adds, "I thought you liked rough-tough-save-the-world kind of men."

She shakes her head, "No, I like much more ordinary men like you."

Merlin laughs again. "Believe me Gwen, I'm not ordinary."

"No I didn't mean you, obviously not _you_. I like much more ordinary men _like you_."

Merlin, unsure if he should feel offended or flattered, simply says, "Thanks." Gwen gives him an uncomfortable look and the two quickly look away from each other, awkwardly.

**...**

Morgana is speaking with Lady Beatrice when she feels someone brush past her. Instinctively, she knows it is Arthur, somehow she can always sense his presence near her. Noticing the prince, Beatrice quickly leaves the pair alone.

Arthur looks at Morgana and feigns disinterest. "Oh, I didn't see you arrive, Morgana."

The Lady purses her lips to keep from smiling. He is lying, obviously. Everyone had seen her arrive, but she decides to humor him anyway. "Oh, and I didn't notice you were here or I would've come over, Arthur."

The prince can tell that their usual battle is not in his favor, so he tries a different tactic. "I've got to say – that is an absolutely gorgeous dress." Morgana looks at him... not allowing herself to believe what she thinks he is trying to say and for good reason. "Have you seen it? The woman just behind you, she looks fantastic."

_'Is this how he wants to play, then?'_ She smiles, "Yes, I saw her earlier; she was with that really _handsome_ man."

She can't help but smirk as Arthur's eyes fill with jealousy, "Not your type."

"You don't know my type," the Lady throws back.

"Yes, I do," He puts on that arrogant grin of his, "The ones you have to _chase_."

Her lips stay smiling, but her eyes fill with that fire she always has when they banter (and he secretly loves it). "No, I like the ones who have to _beg_."

They both smirk as they continue their battle of wits.

**...**

"Well, Gwen," the maid jumps a bit as she faces the Lady before her. "Will you introduce me to your new friend?" she asks, though it sounds more like a sugar-coated command.

"My Lady," she curtsies. "This is Merlin, Gaius' new ward and assistance." She turns to the other servant, "Merlin, this is the Lady Estella, the king's niece."

For the second time that day, Merlin is struck dumb by a beautiful woman, but really who could blame him. Estella and Morgana both possess such radiant beauty and they have such a great resemblance between them that they could pass as sisters.

"Delighted to meet you," Estella says, while hiding the shudder she got from feeling his magic.

"It-It's a pleasure to meet you too, my Lady," Merlin stutters as his face heats up. He is saved from further embarrassment as the horns sound to signify the king's entrance.

**...**

Arthur purses his lip a bit; glancing to see that Morgana has already went to their table. So, he reluctantly did the same, disappointed that their conversation is interrupted.

The king walks down the aisle and stands in front of his table. "We have enjoyed twenty years of peace and prosperity. It has brought the kingdom and myself many pleasures. But few can compare with the honor of introducing Lady Helen of Mora." Uther quickly takes his seat between Arthur on his right and Estella and Morgana on his left.

As _Lady Helen_ begins to sing, Estella feels the surge of magic pouring into the room. The young woman softly mutters a protection spell, though she doesn't need it; this woman's magic is no match for hers. She plays her role, though, 'falling asleep' like all the others.

**...**

"You saved my boy's life, a debt must be repaid," Uther states while looking on the young boy with gratitude.

Merlin tries to brush his action off, "Um...well..."

"Don't be so modest. You shall be rewarded." The king proclaims.

"No, honestly, you don't have to, Your Highness." The boy assures.

"No, absolutely, this merits something quite special."

At that idea, Merlin has second thoughts, "Well..."

"You shall be awarded a position in the Royal Household. You shall be Prince Arthur's manservant." Uther declares.

"Father!" exclaims Arthur in disbelief as the people begin to clap.

The prince has never looked more displeased, but that is not what is on Estella's mind. She saw how Merlin simply reacted to save Arthur. Her mind is running quickly as the realization hits her. Potential destinies and prophecies are now set in motion.

* * *

A tall woman stands beside another, whose face is identical to her own. They look up towards the lights of Camelot as they feel the new source of magic radiating from the castle.

The first woman, Vivienne Le Fay, speaks, "He has arrived."

The other, Valeria Le Fay, nods, "And his presence will change the fate of us all."

"But the prophecy must be fulfilled, with or without his help." The older woman states.

Turning to her sister, "I do not think his help will be the problem. It will be his judgment."

Vivienne nods. The wind then picks up and the twins disappear and return to the Isle of the Blessed.

* * *

**Author's Note: So…If anyone's confused about Estella, let me know (her whole parentage and history will be discussed in later chapters and the prequel that will come out later on). I really hope she doesn't seem out of place in the story (she's very essential and the most important OC) Valeria as well, she and Vivienne's motives and such will be explained later on. If you were just confused by this whole thing, don't worry I'll clarify everything I can in future chapters. Apologies for the lack of ArMor interaction, but expect more of it in the next chapter and onward. Anyway, thanks for reading and please review.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Hey, a few of our favorite ArMor scenes are in this chapter ;).**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin.**

* * *

Valiant

Estella and Morgana lean against the wall of the castle as they watch Arthur train for the tournament with his new manservant. Both women clad in belted tunics, breeches, and worn boots; their long raven locks tied back and swords on their hip.

"Does he have to be so hard on the poor boy?" Morgana casually remarks.

Estella shrugs lightly before saying, "You know Arthur rarely fights without using all his strength."

Morgana snorts. "Oh, of course that 'honor' is only reserved for us." The two women share a laugh.

"I wish he would spar with us again." The king's niece comments wistfully.

"Perhaps you can use your authority as his elder to command that of him," Morgana suggests.

This time, Estella snorts. "You know he would say that I am older than him by only two years _and_ the fact that he is the prince gives him more authority than me."

Her cousin shakes her head, "As if that has ever stopped you."

The older woman smiles. "I could say the same for you. Despite him being a few months older, you've continuously been able to keep him under control."

"Well, someone must keep his head from swelling too much. Since you are not always here, I have to take that task solely upon myself." Morgana sighs softly.

For the many years that she kept a residence in Camelot, Estella would spend – at most – a few months in Caerleon, being groomed by Lord Agravaine to become the High Duchess of Caerleon, the duchy of the House de Bois. However, for nearly all of the previous year, she had been away. Since there were no other de Bois heirs, but Arthur – and he already had a crown he was waiting for – Estella, as Tristan de Bois' only child, had to take the responsibility. She claimed this stay in Camelot was a short one, to last only a few weeks.

"I don't think that will keep him from winning the tournament, though." Estella remarks.

The younger woman jerks head. "What makes you think he's going to win again?"

"Several reasons: he isn't competing against you or me, he is the best knight Camelot has ever seen, and he has won for the past two years; shall I go on?" She asks while sideways glancing at her cousin.

Morgana rolls her eyes. "You never know. There could be some incredibly strong knight out there that we've never heard of that will beat him." Estella wasn't swayed as she shakes her head in disagreement. "I don't understand why you have so much confidence in him."

Her companion counters with, "I don't understand why you have so much _doubt_."

The Lady shifts uncomfortably at her double meaning. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You know what I mean," Estella says as she straightens up. "Come on, before Arthur notices that we've been defying his father again."

"I wonder what punishment we'll receive this time if Uther learns we've been training with some of the knights." Morgana muses.

"Nothing we've never had before," And the future Duchess adds, "but he shouldn't find out."

Morgana purses her lips. "Oh, so did you promise Owain and Leon invitations into your chambers or were you using threats this time?"

"Both," Estella answers noncommittally (but she is serious), causing Morgana to laugh airily. Oh, she would miss Estella dearly when she decides to go back to Caerleon.

* * *

Arthur and Merlin are walking into the castle, the servant, staggering rather than walking, barely hearing his master list his duties.

Dismissing Merlin, the prince makes his way to his chambers.

"Did you have to be so hard on him?" Arthur jumps slightly as Morgana appears at his side. She had washed and changed from her morning training with her cousin.

Noncommittally, the man shrugs. "It's his job to do as I command and since I am the prince, I can treat him how I like. He's a servant Morgana, not my friend."

"Even so, those points don't call for you to be such an ass." She tells him.

Arthur rolls his eyes, but decides not to chide her for her language that is unfit for a Lady of the court (it wouldn't do anything anyway). "We all can't be the king's loving ward who makes friends with everyone, servants and nobles alike."

Morgana stops walking. "It may be beneficial to you to start doing as such, Arthur."

"What's that supposed to-" but when he turns around the Lady had already walked and disappeared around a corner.

He sighs, _'why does she have to be such a mystery?' _The prince still remembers the times in which he and Morgana were the best of friends who shared anything and everything with each other. Hopes, fears, dreams, and ambitions, there was nothing they could say and be ashamed of, for they both understood each other. But those times are gone (or so he believes), they've grown up now and with that, they've grown apart. He'll never admit it, but he misses her. All the times they spent simply lying in the grass, simply at peace with nature.

Arthur is thankful that she is, at least, still in Camelot. Most women would be offered to high ranking noblemen and princes to be their wives at Morgana's age. Hell, their cousin Estella should be married by now. But these women would not be used as objects and his father knows this and for now, respects it.

His uncle, Agravaine, however, knows this, but doesn't like it in the slightest. From what Estella tells him, for the past year that she had been in Caerleon, their uncle had been calling suitors from across the land to be her husband. The highest Lady of Caerleon made a chaos of the duchy and they were all scared away.

The laughs to himself; his cousin really is something, but he agrees with her refusals. No man he knows of is good enough for the woman he considers his elder sister, even brave and young Owain.

* * *

The first day of the tournament arrives with excitement and anticipation in the air. After the competing knights enter the arena, Uther makes his introduction speech.

"Knights of the realm, it's a great honor to welcome you to the tournament at Camelot. Over the next three days, you will come to put your bravery to the test, your skills as warriors and, of course, to challenge the reigning champion – my son, Prince Arthur."

The knight in yellow turns his head to glance at Arthur. To this the prince looks the knight up and down with a calculating gaze.

"Only one can have the honor of being crowned champion and he will receive a prize of one thousand gold pieces. It is in combat that we learn a knight's true nature, whether he is indeed a warrior or a coward. The tournament begins!"

The crowds applaud as the knights file out of the arena. The knight in yellow gives an appreciative smile to Estella and Morgana before he leaves.

As Arthur prepares to face his first opponent, Uther goes to his son and pats him rather roughly on the back. Arthur's face is a mix of annoyance and disappointment at what his father said to him.

For the first round, Arthur prevails, displaying his truly superior skills. Despite Morgana's previous accusations towards Arthur, she is clearly impressed by him. However, she is also awed by the knight in yellow. The niece of the king didn't know if she is being paranoid, but whenever that knight fought, Estella had an unsettling feeling about him.

* * *

King Uther stands proud and mighty as he greets the knights at the reception that night. Estella and Morgana stand on his right, looking poised and lady-like. For the most part they were only at the reception because of their nobility and for the knights to look upon the two beauties that Camelot possesses – that is, until a certain knight came forth.

"Knight Valiant of the Western Isles, my Lord," says the knight as he bows before the king.

"I saw you fighting today. You have a very aggressive style." The king comments.

"As my Lord said, to lose is to be disgraced." Valiant quite arrogantly tells him.

Smiling, "I couldn't agree more." Uther, deeming the knight worthy, directs Valiant to the two Ladies. "Knight Valiant may I present my niece, the Lady Estella and the Lady Morgana, my ward."

Valiant giving them that appreciative smile again, bends down to first kiss Estella's and then Morgana's hand.

"My Ladies."

"I saw you competing today." Morgana says with an appraising tone.

"I saw you watching." Valiant replies.

During this little exchange, Estella glances at her other cousin to see him glaring at Valiant. The action causes her to smirk slightly, but she quashes it and speaks up.

"You have _very_ impression skills." She compliments smoothly.

The knight turns his gaze back to Estella. "And you have _very_ impressive beauty." She raises her sculpted brow suggestively. "Such virtues should stand _together_, my Lady." He obviously caught onto the meaning of her expression.

"Unfortunately, I'm not the prize this year," she sighs, feigning disappointment.

"So, I'm to understand that the tournament champion shall have the honor of escorting the Lady Morgana to the feast, instead?" he asks as he looks back at Morgana.

"That's correct," the Lady answers.

"Then I will do everything to win the tournaments." The knight promises and Morgana gives him a wide smile. "My efforts would be just as great if the prize were you, Lady Estella." The Lady offers the knight a smile, as well. "My Ladies," he bows one more time before moving on to converse with the other knights. Morgana's eyes follow him and Estella sees Arthur's glare darken. Gwen also seems quite interested in Valiant.

After bowing to the king, the prince swiftly approaches Morgana, only pausing to bow briefly to his cousin to which she smirks once more, anticipating what he will say. Arthur's jaw clenches as he stands before his father's ward.

"They all seem rather impressed by Knight Valiant," Morgana comments.

"They're not the only ones." His voice was surprisingly calm, but the tone was blatantly envious.

Quirking a brow, "You're not jealous, are you?" she teases.

"I don't see that there's anything to be jealous of." Arthur states arrogantly and walks away before she could respond.

"Could Arthur be any more annoying?" Morgana whispers to Gwen. "I so hope Knight Valiant wins the tournament."

"You don't really mean that," Gwen insists (though she would find that quite an interesting occurrence).

"Yes, I do," her mistress emphasizes.

Estella shakes her head. "And I will soon declare that Sir Owain is 'the love of my life'."

Morgana wears a genuine smile now. "Well it is about time. The two of have been sneaking around the castle for too long, nearly two years, now, isn't it? I fully expect an announcement for the wedding at the feast."

Her cousin rolls her eyes while shaking her head. "Only if Valiant wins, which he won't, because Arthur's now got another reason to win."

"Which is?" Morgana prods.

The other Lady lifts a delicate brow. "I'm sure you know, so do you really want me to say?"

Realization hits her and Morgana hastily says, "No," and turns away.

Estella sighs lightly. She didn't know how much longer the two could stay in denial, because almost eight years is far too long.

* * *

The second day of the tournament is even more exciting. Arthur and Valiant continue to prevail through the competition. Estella's uneasiness about the knight from the Western Isles only increases. During his fight with Sir Ewan, he knocks the knight to the ground and Estella is taken aback when she feels a slight tingling of magic. Valiant stands victorious and his opponent is left immobile on the ground. She quickly covers her shock and claps for Valiant.

* * *

The third day of the tournament, the prince's first opponent is the largest knight in the competition, Sir Julian. As the two prepare to fight, Morgana grips Gwen's arm tightly.

"You're not worried, are you?" the maid questions.

"N-no," she lies, trying to hide her fear, as she lets go.

Morgana's anxiety was for nothing as Arthur shows off hers and Estella's favorable advantage against stronger opponents – agility. After the prince strikes down the giant, he makes a subtle tilt of his sword toward Morgana. She, in turn, applauds him and smiles brightly.

At the end of the day, the finals show that Valiant will be facing Arthur.

* * *

That night, the king invites all the knights into the council chambers for bit of a pre-celebratory drink. They all toast and Arthur feels inadequate as they glorify Valiant instead of him.

"So Valiant, do you think you stand a chance of defeating my son?" Uther asks casually.

The knight glances at the prince. "He is a great warrior, My Lord." Looking back at the king. "I do hope to be a worthy opponent."

"You should stay in Camelot after the tournament." Arthur gives his father an incredulous look. "I could do with more knights like you."

Valiant smirks superiorly, pleased that he has gained the king's favor, "I'd be honored, My Lord."

The prince doesn't like this idea, at all. Not only will he have a potential rival in the training grounds, but there would be certain other _matters_ for him to worry about, as well, if Valiant stayed in Camelot.

* * *

When Arthur and Merlin step forth accusing Valiant of using magic, Morgana is shocked as she turns to look at Gwen, but Estella holds her breath as she remains motionless beside her cousin. At first, the king is torn between his son and his new favorite knight, but the tables unfortunately turn.

"So, you have no proof to support these allegations. Have you seen Valiant using magic?" Uther inquires.

Arthur pauses, "No… But my servant fought-"

"_Your servant_? You make these outrageous accusations against _a knight_ on the word of _your servant_?" Uther's words are completely livid as Morgana and Estella watch somberly.

"I believe he's telling the truth." Arthur stresses vehemently.

"My Lord, am I really to be judged on some hearsay from a boy?" Valiant drawls.

"I've seen those snakes come alive!" Merlin claims as he steps forward.

"How dare you interrupt!" Uther exclaims and calls for the guards.

Valiant stops him. "I'm sure he was merely mistaken. I wouldn't want him punished on my account."

Uther looks harshly upon his son. "You see? This is how a true knight behaves – with gallantry and honor." Arthur looks down shamefully as his father scolds him.

"My Lord, if your son made these accusations because he's afraid to fight me, then I will graciously accept his withdrawal." Valiant voices.

The king looks his son in the eye, "Is this true? Do you wish to withdraw from the tournament?"

"No!" the prince exclaims.

"Then what am I to make of these allegations?" Uther questions.

The prince knows that he has lost, so he does the only thing he can to save himself. "Obviously there has been a misunderstanding. I withdraw the allegation against Knight Valiant. Please accept my apology."

Valiant wears a smug expression as he accepts. Estella narrows her eyes at the knight (she senses that there is something else going on) and is thankful he isn't looking at her, but rather watching triumphantly as Arthur quickly walks to the door, rushing past Morgana before she could say something to him. Her gaze follows Arthur and he can feel it on his back, all the while dreading what Morgana thinks of him now.

**...**

Valiant is entering his guest chambers when he notices that they are not empty. Laying languidly amongst the pillows on the bed is the king's niece.

He smirks, "My Lady Estella, to what do I owe this pleasure?"

She gives him a sultry, "Well isn't that always the purpose, pleasure?"

The knight raises an eyebrow, "My Lady, I would not be living up to my name if I were to take advantage of you in such a way."

But she can see his struggle to keep from coming closer to her. Ever so slowly, she draws the skirt of violet dress up, revealing her smooth, pale leg. Valiant's lust filled eyes follow the motion of her hand. "You are not taking advantage if I spur you on and enjoy it." She lifts her chin slightly, signaling for him to come to her.

Without further encouragement, he removes his robe and jacket and nearly jumps on the bed. He tries to crush her to the mattress, but Estella is quick to flip the knight to his back and press him down. Valiant seems to like her feistiness as she feels the bulge in his breeches grow harder.

"I see you like to be in control," he comments huskily.

"What woman doesn't?" She pauses, "So, tell me, why are you in Camelot?" Her tone only hints her suspicion, but the man doesn't even notice as he moves his hands on her lithe body.

"I thought it was obvious, there is a tournament going on." Valiant moves to try and kiss her lips, but she restricts him.

"I'm no one's fool, you come for the tournament and you come to win and you will do whatever it takes to win." Her gray eyes resemble the steel of swords, "Even if it means to kill your opponents."

Now, he can see that she has ulterior motives in coming to him, "You believe what that idiotic servant said?"

"No," she shakes her head, "I believe what I know myself," drawing a dagger from her sleeve, she holds the blade to Valiant's neck, his lustful eyes now widen with fear. "Who sent you?" He doesn't answer and so she decides that she must penetrate his mind and when she does, Estella immediately gets her answer (and it is as she expected). "Thank you, Knight Valiant, you have been very helpful."

The woman promptly knocks the man out, enough to make him think this encounter a strange dream and gets off the bed and quickly leaves the room.

* * *

Estella solemnly looks out her window as she watches her cousin continue to swing his sword. _'Probably trying to work off his anger'_, she thinks. Even with their years in each other's company Estella could never read Arthur, not really. She could advise him and know everything that he told her, but it was Morgana who knew him and his mind (and heart) better than anyone, _'maybe more than his father, even'_.

The Lady turns away and goes to her bed, a tinge of guilt twists in her chest. She wants to help Arthur, to at least assure him or even try to stop him, but she can't. For one, comforting someone is not something she is proficient at (in her opinion); Morgana is always better at that, especially with Arthur. And another, she cannot ask her cousin to be a coward; he will not stand for that. So, she stands on the sidelines and lets fate and destiny rule (for now).

The likeness, in appearance and to an extent character, between the Estella and Morgana is because their mothers were twins, although their upbringings were very different. Gorlois (without Vivienne) had raised his and Vivienne's daughter to be honorable, warm-hearted, and compassionate. While Estella was raised by mother, Valeria, to be proud, strong-willed, and detached. Unlike Vivienne's daughter, Valeria's never (very rarely, actually) meddled, unless the situation called for it and that occasion is extremely rare. Despite her many small rebellions, she is always obedient, absolutely so to her mother.

Her head hurt from her self-contemplation, so she clears her mind and attempts to rest, but sleep has never come easy for her. Unlike Morgana, it wasn't because she had nightmares, but simply due to the fact that her body never seems to be able to fall asleep completely. After about three hours, her eyes involuntarily shut and her body allows her a few hours of sleep, but she will be skipping the tournament tomorrow and probably the feast, as well.

**...**

_Two men are fighting in the arena; one in yellow, one in red. The one in yellow – Knight Valiant – disarms the man in red – Arthur – and knocks him to the ground. The other knight, his features contorted in fury and triumph, looms over the prince, whose own face hold fear, and thrusts his sword into Arthur's chest._

"Arthur," Morgana gasps as she sits up on her chaise, the dream still very clear in her mind.

A sound from the main square makes her start. She walks to her window and sees Arthur in the courtyard expertly handling his sword. She didn't know him to be so dedicated in his practice. _'He's probably having doubts about the fight he'll face in the morning, too.' _

Persistently, he practices the movements of combat, his feet moving across the flagstones with effortless ease. Morgana could watch him for hours. She has always been impressed by his commitment to sword fighting, even as a child there had been precision in his play fights and Morgana has always been proud of him for his skill. Not that she would tell him. His arrogance is great enough.

It is when Arthur finally retires from his moonlit practice that Morgana prepares herself for bed.

* * *

Arthur stands at the window with his back to the door. His former manservant, Morris, attending to his armor is working at a horrendously slow pace. If not for the prince's uneasy nerves he would chastise him for it.

Morgana gracefully walks into the room. The servant, noticing her, bows and hurries out of the chambers. Arthur, now aware of her presence, attempts to turn to her.

She softly places her hands on his back, "Let me."

Arthur then allows her to, but he doubts she knows what she's doing. Morgana tightens the strap on his shoulder and gives him a look as she moves onto the metal on his arm. To Arthur's surprise, the Lady works quickly and efficiently.

The prince looks down at her, silently questioning. Feeling his eyes on her, she looks up to meet his stare. Her face is innocent, but her eyes are wide and dark, matching his.

"I used to help my father with his armor," she explains, slightly breathless.

Arthur says nothing as he continues to watch her with a heated gaze. Her hand lingers for a moment on his chest when she goes to pick up his helmet on the table. As her eyes are always able to ensnare him, Arthur notices that the long skirt of her blue gown has wrapped around his feet; as if she is trying to trap him there, to keep him from fighting. The prince turns toward the Lady and she hands him his helmet.

"Thanks," he says softly.

The two pause and continue to look into each other's eyes; although, Morgana looks down a few times, his gaze too penetrating for her to withstand. Slowly, he steps over her dress and walks toward the door.

Then, she speaks up, "Arthur…"

He turns back to Morgana. She knows she can't stop him from going; he's too stubborn to be dissuaded from his duty. So, as she struggles with her words, she comes to, "B-be careful."

He gives her a faint smile and nods. "See you at the feast."

Morgana sees the flicker of apprehension in his expression before he turns to leave. The same anxiety is written on her own face.

* * *

The prince strides into the arena with his usual confidence and strength. The crowds are cheering loudly as Uther nods for the fight to commence. Arthur turns to Valiant, the prince's fear clear in his eyes as both knights put their helmets on.

Once, they take their battle stance, Valiant aggressively attacks first. Initially, the two seem to be evenly matched, though Arthur appears to show a bit of a struggle. Valiant's helmet is knocked off and the crowds cheer wildly as Arthur removes his.

Morgana gasps loudly after Valiant punches Arthur under his chin. The prince falls to the ground and loses his shield, but quickly gets back onto his feet. Unfortunately, the other knight disarms Arthur and he is left with only his strength to defend himself.

However, when the prince pushes Valiant away from him, the snakes on the knight's shield come alive. The people rise from their seats in shock of what they were seeing.

"He is using magic," Uther gasps.

"And now they see you for what you really are." Arthur proclaims.

Valiant simply laughs at the prince as the snakes slither out of the shield. "Kill him!"

Arthur starts backing away as the snakes followed, trying to do as their master bid. A thought suddenly occurs to Morgana as she reaches for the sword of the knight standing next to her.

"Arthur!" Miraculously, he's able to hear Morgana through the loudness in the arena. She throws the sword perfectly to Arthur and he catches it; quickly slaying the snakes and moments later, Knight Valiant.

The people happily cheer for their prince as he stands before them, in victory, gasping for breath. Morgana is in the same state while she looks at him with relief.

* * *

Uther looks around the banquet hall and calls for everyone's attention. "My honorable guests, I give you Prince Arthur, your champion." Everyone in the hall applauds proudly as Arthur walks over to Morgana's side and offers her his arm.

"My Lady," He smiles down at her, the tenderness he feels for her, apparent.

"My Champion," Morgana curtsies slightly and smiles back radiantly, her own affections clear.

The two of them walk arm-in-arm towards the king – a true vision of the future monarchies of Camelot in everyone's eyes.

"Has your father apologized yet for not believing you?" Morgana asks.

Arthur sighs. "He'll never apologize. I hope you're not disappointed Valiant's not escorting you."

"Turns out he wasn't really champion material." Arthur gives Morgana an appreciative smirk as she lets go of his arm.

"That was some tournament final." He comments.

Morgana smiles, "Tell me about it. It's not every day a girl gets to save her prince."

Arthur purses his lips and laughs, "I wouldn't say I needed exactly _saving_. I'm sure I would have thought of something." The prince declares superiorly.

She narrows her eyes, "See, you're too proud to admit you were saved by a girl!"

"Because I _wasn't_," insists Arthur.

"You know what? I wish Valiant _was_ escorting me." Morgana tells him.

He nods his head once, "Me too, then I wouldn't have to listen to you."

"Fine," she retorts.

"_Fine,_" he throws back.

Morgana turns on her heel and walks to her maid, while Arthur goes to Merlin.

"Can you believe Morgana; she says she saved me – like I needed any help." Merlin doesn't say anything, so Arthur gets to the point. "I wanted to say, I made a mistake. It was unfair to sack you."

Merlin smiles as Arthur looks away. "No, don't worry about it. Buy me a drink and we'll call it even."

Arthur scoffs, "I can't _really_ be seen to be buying drinks for my servant."

The boy is confused. "Your servant? You sacked me."

"Now I'm rehiring you. My chambers are a complete mess. My clothes need washing, my armor needs repairing, my boots need cleaning, my dogs need exercising, my fireplace needs sweeping, my bed needs changing, and _someone_ needs to muck out my stables…"

Merlin sighs as he tries to drown out all the orders Arthur is giving him.

* * *

**Author's Note: Just to get things straight-**

**-Estella's father was Tristan de Bois (Ygraine Pendragon's older brother).**

**-Estella's mother is Valeria (younger twin sister to Vivienne).**

**-Tristan and Valeria were not married, but Estella was legitimized by Tristan before he died.**

**-Morgana and Arthur are both Estella's cousin (but no relation exists between them...yet...maybe).**

**Any other questions let me know. Again, I hope Estella is believable.**

**Thanks for reading and please review (and please don't favorite or subscribe w/o reviewing, I would like to know to what you liked about the story).**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin.**

* * *

The Mark of Nimueh

A woman in red stands in a dark, damp cave, molding a creature out of clay and water. When she completed her sculpture, she places the creature into a marked egg.

"_Berbay odothay arisan yeldo" _

The egg glows and the clay within pulses with life. The woman puts the egg into the water; it quickly travels into Camelot's water supply and the creature inside hatches.

She peers into the water, watching intently as her plot begins to unravel.

"_Diegol cnytte, gewitte me yst, aliese hine, to Camelot he cymþ"_

A figure comes up behind the witch. "Starting your revenge plans already, Nimueh?" the figure asks in a light tone.

She smirks, "_Our_ revenge, dear Valeria; and yes, I do believe it is time Uther Pendragon pays for what he's done to us and our kind."

Valeria nods, but her face shows no emotion, "Of course." The woman turns to leave and Nimueh continues to watch whatever she sees in the water. Oblivious to Valeria and the Le Fay family's plans that will conflict with hers (for now anyway).

* * *

As Merlin and Gaius make their way to the castle with the infected corpse, a voice stops them.

"What are you doing?" Gwen asks cheerfully.

Merlin quickly goes to shield the body, "Uh, um, just moving something."

The maid tries to get a better glance, "Looks heavy."

"It's nothing really," he hurriedly assures and changes the subject. "Someone got you flowers."

Gwen looks down and shakes her head. "Oh, no; would you like one? A purple one, purple suits; _not_ that I'm saying that red _doesn't_ suit you…"

Gaius casually watches the awkward exchange between the two young people. Merlin is not usually one to stumble over his words and Gwen never speaks very much, so to see them so uncomfortable, and yet not so, with each other is rather endearing. _'At least they do not bicker viciously as Arthur and Morgana do,' _the physician muses. He still remembers when the two nobles were young and inseparatable, the best of friends. Now, however, they can hardly stand being in the same room without fighting.

"Thanks, well, uh," Merlin sticks the flower into his scarf and Gwen smiles brightly. "Uh, see you later."

The maid is slightly disappointed with his quick leave, but she tries not to show it. "Bye," she waves to him lightly and continues on her way into the castle.

**...**

Gwen enters Morgana's chambers and her smile brightens at the sight of the Lady. Unlike other nobles, Morgana is kind and gracious, never one to simply look at appearances or rank. She treats Gwen as a friend rather than simply a maid. Over the years that Gwen had been in Morgana's service, the two girls became very close.

"You look happy," the Lady comments with a smile on her own face.

"I picked these for you." She hands her the flowers.

Morgana looks down at the purple and white bunch, "That's so sweet."

"Well, something to cheer you up. I know you're not sleeping well."

She's heartened by her maid's thoughtfulness. "Well, you cheer me up."

The maid laughs softly. "Would you like me to put them in water for you?" Gwen moves to do the task, while the Lady looks over her shoulder affectionately.

* * *

Estella is walking past the council chamber when she hears a commotion within. She knows that she should return to her chambers and mind her own business, but eavesdropping didn't exactly mean that she was meddling.

Dismissing any doubts for what she is doing, the Lady peers into the room. She sees various nobles looking aghast at the dead body on the floor. Uther and Arthur are standing close to it. Gaius Merlin then enters the room to examine the infected corpse.

"What's happened to him?" the king asks.

"I don't know, Sire. It's the second case I've seen today." Gaius answers.

Uther starts to speak rapidly. "Why didn't you report it to me?"

The other man is still composed. "I was attempting to find the cause."

"What did you conclude?" the king demands.

Gaius attempts to veer away from revealing what he learned. "I don't think it's time to hurry to conclusions. The scientific process is a long one."

The king can see that his physician isn't telling him everything. "Why do you conceal it from me?"

"Sire, I have seen nothing like it. The victims are dying within twenty-four hours and it is spreading fast."

Uther is becoming slightly impatient. "What is the cause?"

"I think we should say the cause, the most likely cause, is sorcery." Gaius tells his king.

Arthur looks to his father in alarm and the king quickly takes his son aside. "You must find who did this."

"I will, Father." The prince assures while still looking at the body.

The king commands, "Conduct door-to-door searches. Increase your presence in the town. Double the guards on all the gates and lend the physician your servant."

"Merlin?" the boy questions, not understanding what help the other boy could be.

"I'm going to need Gaius to find a cure. He needs all the help we can give him. If Gaius is right, believe me, the city will be wiped out. This is the kind of magic that undermines our authority, challenges all we've done. If we cannot control this plague, people will turn to magic for a cure. We have to find this sorcerer and quickly." There is actually restrained fear in his voice.

Without listening to another word, Estella backs away and retreats to her chambers. She knows what is happening, but she dares not tell. Uther would question her intensely and when he learns of how she knows about the Afanc and Nimueh, it would be the end of her life (at least that is what she thinks) and thus Morgana's (and Arthur's). Arthur will eventually find the truth… At least, that is what she hopes.

* * *

Despite the fact that her father is ill, Gwen knows she still has chores to be done. She changes her direction from the village to Lady Estella's chambers.

The maid enters the room to find the king's niece staring out the window, her face blank. She always seems to do that – gaze outside as if she longs to be anywhere, but in Camelot…and that is probably true (but it is not). Within the walls of the city, she is confine to court etiquette and her duties as the king's niece; although, since her extended leave the year before, her duties were past to Morgana as the king's ward and the new First Lady of Camelot.

"You're upset, Gwen," the Lady states, monotonously. The maid begins to stutter her denial of the claim, but Estella can see through it, "Your eyes are red and swollen from tears."

The noblewoman is now looking at her with those piercing and slightly terrifying gray eyes. Gwen sighs sadly, "My father has gotten the disease."

What may have been pity set in her visage quickly disappears. Gwen lets out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. She knows that Estella is not one to show that she cares, but Gwen always hoped that she would be an exception to such treatment after the years she's been in the Lady's service. But that should not be expected, especially since she did not go about comforting Arthur or Uther, only Morgana, occasionally.

However, the Lady is as sympathetic and respectful as Morgana…to an extent, at least. She never spoke an unkind word to Gwen or any other servant, but she is not as openly friendly as her cousin.

The door suddenly opens and Morgana walks in. She is about to say something to Estella, when she notices her friend's tear-stained face.

"Gwen, what is it?" Morgana asks, concern coloring her voice and features.

"My father, he- he's been infected by the disease." Gwen begins to tremble and Morgana quickly holds her friend. After a moment, the maid calms down a bit.

"You should go home and take care of him." Estella says, suddenly.

Morgana nods in agreement. "Yes, you should. Don't worry about your chores, Estella and I can take care of ourselves." Gwen gratefully bows to both Ladies and Morgana leads her to the door.

"Was there something you needed, Morgana?" Her cousin inquires.

"No, nothing terribly important; I'll see you later." Estella nods and turns back to the window, while Morgana takes the maid home.

* * *

That night, Estella walks through the streets of Camelot, making her way to the Darkling Woods. She catches sight of a shadow moving through the village. The aura of powerful magic is radiating through to her senses – it's Merlin.

Dismissing the servant from her thoughts, she quickens her pace, pulling her charcoal cloak closer to her, and continues on her journey. It is about two hours until she reaches her destination. She looks around the secluded area trying to grasp at any magical aura in the clearing.

"Daughter"

Estella swiftly turns and faces the tall woman with hair as dark as her own and eyes that resemble emeralds. "Mother," she addresses with a slight dip of her head.

"How is Camelot?" Her mother was always one to skip pleasantries.

"The disease has taken many lives, Uther is fearful of what is to come, Arthur simply follows his father's orders, and Gaius has no cure." She tells her mother.

Valeria scoffs a bit. "But of course there's no cure. To be rid of the pestilence the king must turn to magic or learn the source."

"Neither of which are likely to happen," Estella points out.

Valeria nods absently. "How is Morgana, how much has her powers developed?"

"Her visions have become clearer, but nothing drastic has occurred. No stored memories resurfacing either." Her daughter answers.

"Hmmh, I thought that she would be ready to officially train by now." The older woman comments.

"Well, apparently not." Valeria gives her a dry look and she downcasts her own.

"Keep her safe; protect her, _guide_ her." She orders.

"As I always have and will," Estella promises.

"Good," the older woman pauses, "Keep yourself out of trouble, as well. Remember, never meddle." She doesn't say unless you have to, Valeria wants her daughter to learn to do that on her own.

"I know," she sighs, exasperated by the order that she apparently could never remember.

"Things are slow now, but don't expect them to be this way for long. Emrys' presence has started all of you on one path, but it's up to you and Morgana to ensure that the right one is continued upon." The witch tells her child.

"Yes, mother"

Valeria steps forward, her royal purple cloak rustling against the ground, and briefly kisses her daughter's forehead. "Go, now. We don't want any of the guards catching you."

Estella bows her head and does as her mother says. Valeria whispers a spell and a moment later, she and her aura disappears from the forest.

* * *

Gwen is arranging flowers in Morgana's chambers when the door suddenly opens. The prince and two guards come forward and grab the maid, arresting her for practicing enchantments.

Morgana strides out of her inner chambers, "Gwen?" As the guards take the maid out of the room, the Lady turns to Arthur. "What are you doing?" she demands.

"We found a magic poultice in her house." The prince explains.

"That's _ridiculous,_" Morgana emphasizes.

"How else do you explain her father's recovery?" he questions.

"Well she's innocent. You know she's innocent." She insists.

"What can I do? I can't turn a blind eye." Not waiting for a response, Arthur turns to lead the guards to his father. Morgana softly scoffs at the prince's lack of personal thought. After a moment, she follows him, staying at distance, as not to receive any chastising.

**...**

"Why will no one believe me?" Gwen looks around the chamber and pleads, "He got better, he just recovered. I didn't do anything!"

Morgana walks purposefully into the chamber, "I believe you." She then addresses Uther. "Perhaps this is a disease that is not always fatal. Have you thought of that? Perhaps he recovered naturally."

"And what of this poultice that was found?" the king questions.

Morgana casts her gaze to her maid. "What poultice? I don't know anything about a poultice!"

"It was found in your house." Uther stands up and walks to the maid, "Undo this enchantment. Put an end to this contagion."

"I _can't_!" Gwen emphasizes.

"I'll show you no mercy." He says.

"I am not a witch! I don't know how to stop the illness!" Gwen bows her head.

"If you will not undo your sorcery, you force my hand and I must find you guilty."

"But I've told you-"

The king interrupts, "It is therefore my duty to pronounce judgment and under the circumstance I have no choice but to sentence you to death."

"No," she nearly cries.

"I can only hope that when you die, this evil plague dies with you. Take her away," Uther orders.

Morgana looks on despairingly as Gwen is taken to the dungeons.

Estella observes Merlin looking on guiltily as she leaves along with the rest of the courtiers. _'So that's what he was doing last night.'_

The king's ward turns toward her guardian. "I know Gwen. She's my maidservant not a sorceress."

"Have you ever seen a sorceress?" The king questions, "Believe me; they bear no sign, no mark. There is no sense of evil in the eye." And he speaks from a great amount of personal experience.

Arthur stands back as he listens to Morgana continue to speak against the king.

"I've seen the way the girl works. Her fingers are worn, her nails are broken. If she was a witch, why would she do this? Why would she kneel on a cold stone floor morning after morning when she could make these things happen with a snap of her fingers, like an idle king?" She nearly growls the last part.

Uther turns on his ward. "You have no right."

"You have no right to cast such a judgment on that girl!" Morgana yells.

"I have a responsibility to take care of this kingdom!" The older man states, "I take no pleasure in this."

"But you're sentencing the wrong person." The woman pleads.

Arthur then intercedes. "She's right, Father." Morgana turns to him with gratefulness in her eyes. "You hear the word magic, you no longer listen."

"You saw it for yourself. She used sorcery." Uther say.

"Yes, maybe, but to save her dying father – that doesn't make her guilty of creating a plague. One's the act of kindness, of love, the other of evil. I don't believe evil's in this girl's heart."

"I have witnessed what witchcraft can do. I have suffered at its hand." (More than he is aware of). "I cannot take that chance. If there is the slightest doubt about this girl, she must die or the whole kingdom will perish!"

"I understand that," Arthur says, a touch of annoyance that his father has such low standards of his judgment.

Uther stares into his son's sky blue eyes, the same ones he possessed in his youth. "One day, you may become king. Then you will understand. Such decisions _must_ be made. There are dark forces which threaten this kingdom."

"I know. Witchcraft is an evil, father. So is injustice. Yes, I am yet to be king and I don't know what kind of king I will be but I do have a sense of the kind of Camelot I wish to live in. It will be where the punishment fits the crime." The prince declares.

Uther then looks up at his son. "I fear you're right. She's played with fire, and sadly she must die by fire."

Morgana's heart suddenly clenches. She turns from the two men with a pained expression that she quickly composes and strides out of the chamber.

Arthur is disheartened as he watches her leave, knowing that he is at fault as much as his father for what will happen to Morgana's maid.

* * *

"What if burning this witch doesn't stop the poison? How do I protect my people?" the king asks his council members.

"My men have closed down the water pumps." The prince informs.

Gaius adds, "But the emergency supply won't last for much longer. We have to find a way of cleansing the water of the disease."

"But how?" The king inquires.

"Well..." the physician is interrupted.

The doors open and Merlin bursts in. "It was me! It was me who used magic to cure Gwen's father!" The council stares at him. His master looks at him as if he is a madman. "Gwen is not the sorcerer. I am!" he declares.

Gaius stands up, "Merlin! Are you mad?" He demands in a hushed voice.

"I cannot let her die for me." He says to his guardian and to Uther, "I place myself at your mercy."

"He doesn't know what he's talking about." The physician quickly tells the king.

Merlin refutes the physician's words, "I do."

"Then arrest him." The king commands his guards.

Arthur intercedes, "Father, please! I can't allow this! This is madness! There's no way _Merlin_ is a sorcerer." (But how wrong he is).

The king looks at his son, "Did you not hear him?"

"Yes," of course he did, but the idea of his idiot of a servant a sorcerer is ridiculous.

"He admitted it." Uther states.

"He saved my life, remember." The prince reminds his father.

"Why should he fabricate such a story?" the king questions.

Arthur balks for a moment, unsure of what to say and then he recalls something. "As Gaius said, he's got a...grave, mental disease."

"Really?" the king leans forward in his chair, interested in what his son had to say.

"He's in love," Arthur tells the council.

Merlin in taken aback, "What?"

"With Gwen," The golden-haired boy finishes.

Uther grins.

The servant shakes his head, "I am not."

"Yes, you are," his master throws back.

"No way." Merlin is adamant. He doesn't have those kinds of feelings for Gwen.

"I saw yesterday with that flower she'd given you." The prince reminds him.

"I'm not in love with her." The dark-haired boy emphasizes.

Arthur puts his arm around Merlin. "It's alright. You can admit it." He gestures to the other council members who were grinning at the servant.

"I don't even think of her like that!" The boy declares. Part of his mind wants to call Arthur out on the feelings he suspected the prince harbors for Morgana.

"Perhaps she cast a spell on you." Uther suggests.

Arthur looks at his father worriedly. The smiles and snickers and the other council members join in.

The prince smiles in relief. "Merlin is a wonder, but the wonder is that he's such an idiot. There's no way he's a sorcerer." He concludes.

"Don't waste my time again." Uther tells him and then commands his guards to let the boy go.

* * *

"_The great warlock returns, as I knew he would." The dragon declares._

"_I need to know how to defeat an Afanc." Merlin informs the dragon._

"_Yes, I suppose you do."__ The creature says drily._

"_Will you help me?" the boy asks, nearly begs._

"_Trust the elements that are at your command." The creature tells the servant._

_Merlin doesn't understand, "Elements; what is it I have to do?"_

_The dragon proclaims, "You cannot do this alone. You are but one side of a coin. Arthur is the other."_

**...**

Lady Estella opens her eyes as the vision fades. She wouldn't have to meddle this time and she shouldn't (in her mind, anyway); Merlin would eventually figure it out (hopefully). Her main task, as her mother commands, is to watch over and protect Morgana.

The woman is thankful that she is not the only one who's made it their duty to so… But then again Arthur has always loved to be the hero, especially when the supposed damsel is Morgana.

* * *

"They're bringing forward the execution; we have to prove Gwen's innocence," Morgana states as she strides into the room.

"We're trying," Gaius insists.

"Please, just tell me what I can do to help." She says.

"We need Arthur," Merlin declares.

Her brow furrows, "Arthur?"

"There's a monster, an Afanc in the water supply. That's what causing the plague." Merlin explains.

"Well, we must tell Uther." The ward insists.

"An Afanc is a creature formed by magic, telling Uther wouldn't save Gwen, he'll only blame her for conjuring it." Gaius says.

"So, what are we to do?" Morgana inquires.

Merlin answers, "We need to destroy it, then the plague will stop, then Uther may see sense."

Morgana nods, the pieces fitting together. "And that's why you need Arthur."

"He's our best chance," the servant adds, "but he won't want to disobey the king."

The Lady looks between Merlin and Gaius, a plan formulating. "Leave that to me."

**...**

Arthur walks out from his inner chambers and finds Morgana near the door.

"You all right?" he asks, seeing her sad expression. "Sorry, about all this, Merlin's not been in today." He says gesturing to the mess on his table.

"Poor Merlin," Morgana comments

"Yeah"

"Offered to give up his life to save Gwen's," She smiles girlishly at the prince. "I certainly can't imagine any man loving me so much."

Arthur looks at her and sarcastically says, "No, I certainly can't imagine that either."

Morgana smiles slightly and mocks, "That's because you're not like Merlin. He's a lover."

The prince nearly laughs, the very thought of a servant being better than him in any way is impossible. "Yeah, maybe that's because I haven't found the right person to _love_."

The Lady smirks as the prince turns to put away a shirt. "Sadly, the age of gallantry seems to be dead. You look around and all you see are small men, not big enough to fill their armor." The prince softly sighs as he attempts figure out what Morgana was really trying to say. He didn't spend years at her side to never learn her tricks. "There's not one of them that's able to stand up for what is right." She finishes.

Arthur smiles (very much aware of the woman is trying to say) and asks, "What do you want me to do?"

Morgana nods slightly, extremely pleased with herself, and explain their predicament and Merlin's plan.

**...**

Merlin turns and is amazed to see Arthur walking toward him, Morgana close behind. The three of them make their way down into the tunnel where the water supply is.

"You better be right about this, Merlin." Arthur says.

A growl rumbles through the tunnel and Morgana audibly gasp. When the sound ceased, Arthur turns to Morgana.

"You should stay here." The prince tells her.

"I'm coming with you." She states.

"No," the prince is adamant.

"Scared I'll show you up?" The Lady taunts.

Arthur ignores it, "Father would slam us both in chains if he knew I endangered you."

"Good thing he doesn't know about it, then."

She obviously wasn't afraid of the monster or the king, so Arthur uses a different method. "I'm telling you, Morgana. Turn back. You could get hurt."

His actual concern is touching, but she pushes that feeling away. "So could you," his heart leaps at her genuine unease, but to her the words sound too vulnerable, so she adds, "If you don't get out of my way." That statement by itself hurts him a bit, more than he dares to think about. Morgana strides past him as Arthur looks at Merlin exasperatedly.

They continue on cautiously. At the fork in the tunnel, they split up. Arthur walks forward only to be confronted by the monster. One moment it is in front of him, the next it vanishes.

Morgana runs to his side panicked that Arthur was hurt. "What is it? Are you all right?"

"Yeah," he assures her.

"Did you see it?" Merlin asks.

"Yes"

The servant asks, "What did it look like?"

Arthur's not quite sure how to describe it, "I-it's quick."

Morgana screams as the monster appears in front of her. Arthur leaps forward with his sword, poised to defend her, but it disappears once more.

"Where is it?" the prince demands.

Merlin points out a supposed direction and the trio follow it. Around the corner, the Afanc decides to reveal itself. Arthur and Morgana attempt to fight it off, but nothing seems to faze the creature. When the monster tries to attack once more, Merlin then casts a spell causing the fire from Arthur's torch to grow and pounce – the Afanc is destroyed.

* * *

Estella creeps near a door of the council chamber.

"I've never heard of an Afanc before." She hears Uther comment.

"It's conjured from clay by powerful magic; the type that can only be invoked by an ancient sorcerer – one who has the power to mirror the spirit of life. I found this at the water source. It bears the mark of Nimueh."

The king sighs despairingly, "No."

"We must be vigilant, Sire."

"Will I never be rid of her?" the king asks with a shuddering breath.

"Sire-" Gaius starts.

"Leave me!" the king commands.

Estella glances at her uncle as he sits on his throne with a troubled, aggrieved expression. She sighs softly to herself. There is nothing she can do. The king bears the burden of what destiny set upon him. He does what he is meant to do. And so must they all.

* * *

Morgana, Merlin, and Tom, the blacksmith and Gwen's father, walk into the dungeons as the guard opens the cell and the maid is released.

Tom immediately rushes to his daughter and gathers her into his arms "Dad! She exclaims.

"Oh, my little child!" Tom sighs in relief.

Morgana stands at their side and Gwen reaches to grasp her mistress' hand.

"Thank you!" the maid tells the other woman.

She shakes her head, "Don't thank me. It was more Merlin."

Gwen looks to her friend, "Really?"

Morgana nods, "He's the real hero here."

The maid looks at the boy with such admiration. "I don't know what to say."

Merlin shrugs, "I didn't do anything."

Tom speaks up, "I'm- I'm grateful to you all." He says, tears clouding his eyes. "Come on, Gwen." Holding her closer, he walks with her to their home.

The noblewoman calls the servant, "Merlin, I wanted you to know, your secret's safe with me."

"My secret?" he asks.

She shakes her head, "Merlin, don't pretend. I know what you did."

"You do?"

She nods, "I saw it with my own eyes."

"You did?"

"I understand why you don't anyone to know." The Lady shrugs.

"Well, obviously," He nods.

"But I won't tell anyone." She pauses, "You don't mind me talking to you about it?"

"Er...no. I, I, it's, er..." he laughs softly, "You have no idea how hard it is to keep this hidden."

"Well, you can continue to deny it, but I think Gwen's a very lucky woman."

Merlin furrows his brow, "Gwen?"

Morgana puts her finger to her lips, shushing him, "It's our secret."

"Not really, since Arthur's announced it to the council already." Estella tells her cousin as she reveals herself from the shadows.

The green-eyed woman smiles, "Well, Merlin it seems that your affections are not so easily hidden."

The servant begins to blush and stutter as the two women walk out of the dungeon.

**...**

"You know," Estella starts, "Merlin and Gwen's 'relationship' isn't the only one that is so easily hidden."

Morgana smiles, "Oh yes, we cannot forget you and Owain."

The older woman slightly sneers a bit. "No, actually we _can_ forget."

"Why are you so sour about it?" her cousin inquires.

"Because _it _is nothing more than a one-sided 'relationship.' I do not harbor any deep feelings for the boy and I never will." She promptly answers.

"You never know," the younger woman insists.

"I do, actually," she whispers. Morgana sees a slight sliver of sadness in her cousin's gray eyes and she in turn remains quiet.

Nimueh wrathfully swipes her hand through the water as the vision of Merlin and Gaius is shattered.

"You will pay for this, Merlin!" the woman swears.

* * *

**Author's Note: As usual, let me know what you think and if you have any questions, I'm always keen to answer. Thanks for reading and please review(and please don't favorite or subscribe w/o reviewing, I would like to know to what you liked about the story, I'm also very paranoid about my writing).**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin.**

* * *

The Poisoned Chalice

As Nimueh prepares to leave the isle, a woman appears at the archway to her left. The woman stands tall and dark-haired, impassively watching her mentor with luminous, emerald green eyes.

"Dearest, Vivienne, come to see me off?" the Priestess inquires whilst turning towards her.

The other woman smiles slightly. "Well, I thought someone must."

Nimueh knits her brows, "Where are the others?"

"My daughter is dedicated to her studies and training and Valeria has gone to visit Estella." She answers smoothly.

Nimueh absently nods. "A safe and successful journey." The emerald-eyed woman says.

The Priestess then smiles. "Oh, it will be."

* * *

Ever since the near execution of Gwen, Merlin and Gwen's mistresses have been quite attentive toward the young woman. The noblewomen tried to give her fewer chores to do, as well as more breaks (although the blacksmith's daughter is already, perhaps, the most privileged maid – servant in the castle), while Merlin actually brought her a flowers everyday and would keep her company more often than before (and this causes everyone to believe that Merlin truly _is_ in love with Gwen).

Currently the two servants are returning from the market together, laughing simply enjoying each other's. Morgana is watching from the window with a small smile on her face.

"They are quite adorable, together." Morgana says to Estella who is standing beside her, reading a book.

Before the older woman can respond, another person joins them. "Who?" Arthur asks while looking over Morgana's shoulder.

"Merlin and Gwen," the Lady answers matter-factly.

The prince snorts, "Oh."

The woman lifts an elegant brow, "What?"

Estella answers (while still reading her book) before Arthur can. "He's trying to say that there are two other people who are even more so lovely together."

"Oh, and who would they be?" Morgana has taken to not mentioning Estella and Owain and Arthur is aware of this, as well.

The eldest of the three smiles conspiratorially. "Why, the two of you, my cousins." Their eyes widen and suddenly the atmosphere is tense.

Arthur tries to alleviate this. He laughs jokingly, "You are very amusing." Morgana is quick to join in the laughter and agree with him.

Their mutual cousin rolls her eyes. "Please, I am aware of that, but that was not meant to be jest."

"Could have fooled anyone," the prince spots the Mercian party entering the main square. "And if you'll excuse me, but the king wants me in the throne room." With that, the golden-haired man walks down the stairs to the aforementioned location (he walked away faster than he meant to and Estella notices this).

Morgana doesn't have any such luck at escape, but her cousin takes pity on her and starts talking about gowns and the Mercians.

**...**

King Bayard and his retinue march into the throne room as King Uther and his company meet them half way. A heavy silence settles after everyone stops and stands. An out of place servant (Nimueh in disguise) continues to look towards Prince Arthur's manservant.

Uther breaks the silence. "Camelot welcomes you, King Bayard of Mercia. The treaty we sign today marks an end to war and a beginning to a new friendship between our people."

The other king nods and Uther and Bayard grasp arms. Both parties applaud, while Nimueh stares at Merlin. The young warlock, of course, is oblivious to her angered gaze.

* * *

After Nimueh leaves the chambers of King Bayard, she starts to head to the banquet hall. As she turns the corners she runs into a beautiful, young woman dressed in a lovely, sea green, satin gown. Her raven hair in curls and flowing, adorned with tiny pearls.

"Forgive me, I should have…" the woman stops as she notices the servant staring at her.

The Priestess has never met the girl before this moment, but her aura is familiar, as is her face. "…You look very much like your mother." She remarks bluntly.

The young woman feigns bewilderment. "How do you-?"

Nimueh interrupts, "We are close acquaintances… The only question is which daughter are _you_?" She continues to scrutinize the girl and the essence of magical experience in the girl's stormy gray eyes tells her the answer she is looking for.

The young woman realizes that the 'servant' is aware of her true identity. "I don't want any trouble here, my Lady."

"Quite formal aren't we? And shouldn't I be calling _you_ that _Lady Estella_?" the Priestess questions with a smirk on her face. "And there won't be any _trouble_." She brushes past the girl.

"Whatever you're trying to d-" The younger girl starts.

She nearly laughs; such strong powers, yet so naïve (at least that is how she plays herself to be, but Nimueh does not know that). "Trying? I don't need to _try_, what I've planned has already begun and no one can nor will stop me." She pauses, "Especially you. You may play the part of the king's adoring niece, but you are one of us and with _us_ is where your loyalties lie."

Estella says nothing, not wanting to invoke the anger of a High Priestess, but she's sure her inner turmoil is apparent on her face. Briskly she turns and continues toward her former destination. Nimueh is silent as well, as she follows suit.

* * *

The ward of the king, dressed in her resplendent royal purple and teal gown with many jewels decorating her black locks, sits beside her cousin as she watches her guardian and King Bayard sign the peace treaty between their two kingdoms. Arthur is standing close to his father, wearing his red jacket with the golden buttons.

Gwen stands next Merlin and she can't help but laugh at his outfit. "Nice hat," she compliments cheerily. (Secretly, she is glad that her mistresses do not force her to wear such ridiculous clothing).

Not unkindly, the other servant retorts, "Thanks."

The maid catches sight of Merlin staring at another dark-haired woman, and a quite attractive one at that, as he takes off the hat and tries to smooth his ruffled hair. "She's pretty isn't she…" Gwen adds, "For a _handmaiden_, I mean."

"She's pretty for a princess, let alone a handmaiden." Merlin counters (of course the young boy would think that about any woman).

"Hmm," Gwen answers seeing the obvious charm the other woman had on her friend. She didn't want to admit it, but she felt a slight tug at her heart at the idea (what she does not know, is that Merlin had the same thought about her when they first met). As the kings clasp arms, Gwen silently moves from Merlin's side to Gaius'. The older man nods and gives the girl a gentle smile. Merlin looks after he, a bit confused.

King Bayard begins to speak, "People of Camelot, for a great many years, we have been mortal enemies. The blood of our men stains the ground from the walls of Camelot to the gates of Mercia. And though we remember those who have died, we must not allow any more to join them." A servant comes to Bayard's side carrying a chest. Estella notices Nimueh leaving her former place with a satisfied expression on her face. "As a symbol of our good will, and of our new-found friendship, I present these ceremonial goblets to you, Uther, and to your son, Arthur, in the hope that our friendship may last." The cups were given to their respective recipients as Bayard continues with his speech. "And may the differences of our past remain there." The Mercian king raises his goblet to the royals of Camelot, "To your health, Uther… Arthur… Lady Estella… the Lady Morgana… the people of Camelot."

"And to fallen warriors, on both sides," Uther adds in.

Arthur begins to bring the cup to his lips when suddenly Merlin runs into the room. "Stop; it's poisoned! Don't drink it!" Merlin grabs the goblet from the prince.

"What?" Uther asks.

"Merlin, what are you doing?" Arthur questions demandingly.

He quickly explains, "Bayard laced Arthur's goblet with poison."

"This is an outrage!" The Mercian king yells, astonished. He and his men draw their swords and the knights of Camelot do the same.

"Order your men to put down their swords. You're outnumbered." Uther verbalizes.

Bayard does just that, but also proclaims, "I will not allow this insult to go unchallenged."

Uther addresses Merlin, "On what grounds do you base this accusation?"

Arthur interjects, "I'll handle this. Merlin, you idiot, have you been at the sloe gin again?"

"Unless you want to be strung up, you will tell me why you think it's poisoned, now." Uther emphasizes.

"He was seen lacing it." The servant informs his king.

"By whom?" the older man questions.

Merlin hesitates, "I can't say."

Bayard speaks, "I won't listen to this anymore."

Uther walks to Arthur's side. "Pass me the goblet." The king turns to Bayard, "If you're telling the truth..."

"I am," the Mercian is adamant.

"Then you have nothing to fear, do you?" Uther counters. Bayard finally sheaths his own sword and gestures for the chalice, but Uther turns away. "No. If this does prove to be poisoned, I want the pleasure of killing you myself." The other king stands affronted as Uther turns to back to Merlin. "He'll drink it."

The prince then speaks up, "But if it is poisoned, he'll die."

"Then we'll know he was telling the truth." His father says.

Gaius tries to come to Merlin's defense, but it is fruitless. Uther demands the task be done to prove someone's guilt and so, Estella is left to stare at the servant with masked terror in her eyes, everyone else with nervous anticipation, and Gwen even steps forward as Merlin drinks deeply from the cup.

The occupants of the hall wait for something to happen, but nothing does (yet). Bayard stands smugly as Merlin admits that the goblet is not poisoned.

However, he spoke too soon. A second after those words left his mouth, he starts to cough raggedly and clutches at his throat. The people in the hall watch in horror as he collapses on the floor.

Arthur runs to Merlin's side while the swords are drawn once more. Estella (allow, she sees the pleased gaze of Nimueh) discreetly pulls the dagger from her sleeve while Morgana grabs the knife on the table.

Gaius and Arthur quickly grab Merlin to take to the physician's chambers, as Gwen picks up the goblet and follows. The Mercians are then taken into the dungeons.

* * *

Estella looks out of Morgana's window, watching solemnly as Nimueh rides out of Camelot (of course she's not going to do anything about that). Her cousin sits at her dressing table, carefully removing the jewels from her ebony hair.

Suddenly Gwen enters, speaking rapidly. "My Ladies, I am so sorry I haven't been here to attend to you both."

"Don't worry, we're alright." Morgana assures. "How's Merlin?" she asks with concern.

"If Prince Arthur comes back with the antidote in time, then he'll be fine." Gwen says shakily.

"Then he'll be fine," Morgana says firmly. "You should be with him, we'll manage. I know what he means to you, go."

"Thank you," the maid swiftly curtsies and leaves.

After a silent moment, Estella starts walking to the door. "I should go and speak to Uncle; you know that Arthur won't be able to convince him."

She didn't have to elaborate for her cousin to understand. "Where Arthur fails with his father, you will succeed."

Estella smiles, "And if I fail with the king, then we know that _you_ shall succeed with the prince." Morgana is taken aback by the statement, but Estella is gone before she could say something else.

**...**

"Arthur, you are my only son and heir. I can't risk losing you for the sake of some serving boy." The king emphasizes.

"Because his life's worthless?" the prince incredulously asks.

"No, because it's worth _less_ than yours," Uther corrects.

"I can save him. Let me take some men..." the younger man tries to convince his father.

"No"

"We'll find the antidote and bring it back." He finishes.

The king is adamant, "No."

"Why not?" his son demands hotly.

"Because one day I will be dead and Camelot will need a king." His eyes stare into his son's, almost commanding him to understand. "I'm not going to let you jeopardize the future of this kingdom over some fool's errand."

"It's not a fool's errand." Arthur defends, "Gaius says that if we can get-"

Uther disbelievingly remarks, "Gaius says? That's exactly what makes it so!"

Arthur then attempts a different tactic. "_Please_, Father. He saved my life. I can't stand by and watch him die."

The king turns to his son and says the hard truth that the boy must face. "Then don't look. This boy won't be the last to die on your behalf. You're going to be king. It's something you'll have to get used to."

The prince shakes his head, "I can't accept that."

When their argument ends with Arthur going to his chambers, his father having established his authority, Estella decides to reveal her presence to the king.

"Uncle-" she starts, but is interrupted.

Uther turns to her, "There you are, I wanted to speak to you."

She furrows her brow. "About what?" but she quickly realizes what he is going to say. "Uncle-"

"You are not leaving Camelot tomorrow or in the near future." The older man declares.

"I'm not going on some foolish mission." Estella reasons (but she considers Arthur's desired mission far from foolish).

"No, but you'll be traveling outside of my ability to protect you. The Mercians are in the dungeons and you are my niece. Bayard's armies will not hesitate to make you a hostage." His words are logical… still.

"But-" she starts.

"I've already made my decision. Your safety is the issue here and I'm sure Agravaine and the people of Caerleon shall understand. Now go to your chambers. I've already had to deal with Morgana and Arthur; will _you_ at least relieve me of some aggravation?" Uther sighs tiredly.

Estella loudly exhales, but complies, nonetheless; always the obedient one, the eldest of the three… in the public eye that is.

* * *

Arthur storms into his chambers and drops his sword onto the table. Standing in front of the fireplace, he presses his hands against the stone and hangs his head in defeat.

The soft brush of silk against stone and a melodious voice catches his attention.

"Say what you like about the food, but you can't beat our feasts for entertainment." She starts.

For some unknown reason, his heart lightens. "Morgana, I'm sorry, I should have made sure you were alright."

The Lady ignores his concern. "Disappointed, actually, was looking forward to clumping a couple round the head with a ladle." She says as she walks to him.

Arthur turns to her. "I'm sure the guards could have handled Bayard and his men."

"Yeah, but why let the boys have all the fun?" the Lady half-jests.

The prince sighs, "Morgana, you shouldn't get involved. It's dangerous."

She rolls her eyes. "Spare me the lecture. I've already had it from Uther."

"If it's any consolation, you weren't the only one." He turns his back to her once more.

After a slight pause, she decides it's time to say what needs to be said. "Not that I listen to him. Sometimes you've got to do what you think is right and _damn_ the consequences."

Arthur turns to face Morgana, catching the full meaning of her words. "You think I should go."

She shakes her head. "It doesn't matter what I think."

"If I don't make it back, who will be the next king of Camelot?" Morgana flinches slightly at the thought of him not returning. "There's more than just my life at stake."

Instead of answering she asks, "And what kind of king would Camelot want?" She draws his sword from its scabbard, "One who would risk his life for that of a lowly servant, _or_ one who does what his father _tells_ him to?" The Lady holds up the sword to her prince. Arthur pauses attempting to discern her true intentions, but it is clear what her motivations are, what they always were in times like this. She is trying to help him see things clearly – pushing him to do the right thing, to prove that he actually deserved to rule Camelot when he is king.

Arthur takes his sword from her and grabs the scabbard, sheathing his blade. With one look at her face, he knows that despite the odds that are apparently against him, he'll have the strength to somehow return. Because _she _believes that he would, even if she won't say it.

* * *

"I expressly ordered Arthur not to go!" Uther rants as Morgana stands unconcerned with his complaints.

"It worked like a charm too," she says.

"Not another word!" he chides.

The king's ward retorts wittily, "My lips are sealed."

"I should have put him under lock and key."

"You can't chain him up every time he disagrees with you." Morgana reprimands.

The king raises his voice. "Just you watch me! I will not be disobeyed – especially by my own son."

The Lady settles into her chair and picks up a quill. "No. Of course you won't."

Something then occurs to the king, "You knew about this, didn't you?" She looks up innocently. "Morgana... Don't lie to me."

She dips her head. "Arthur's old enough to make decisions for himself."

"He's just a _boy_," Uther says.

She nearly scoffs. "Have you seen your son, recently?" He gives her a look. "You have to let him make his own mind up."

Uther counters, "Even if it means letting him go to his death?"

In spite of her confidence in Arthur, she slightly winces at the question. Her guardian says nothing more and leaves her chambers.

* * *

Valeria stares into the basin, watching as Nimueh leads Arthur into the cave. Her elder twin sister is standing right beside her.

"Emrys is too weak to aid him with this," the younger twin states with worry.

Vivienne nods, "Estella will not interfere and Morgana cannot help either." She looks at her sibling. "It is up to us."

The sisters take hold of each other's hand, watching and waiting. They see Nimueh lead the young prince to the Mortaeus flower. Soon though, the Priestess casts a spell. The rock he is standing on falls out beneath him. He jumps for the opposite ledge and catches it with his hand. The witch gives Arthur cryptic words and leaves the prince to be killed the giant spiders she summoned.

Vivienne glances at Valeria, "Ready?" the younger twin nods.

Holding their other hands side-by-side, they conjure and combine their magic. _"Fromum feohgiftum on fæder bearme. Fromum feohgiftum."_

A glowing orb of mystical, opalescent light forms between their palms. The light flows into the basin and is magically transported to the prince's location.

Arthur mistakes the light as another threat, but he soon realizes that this is not the case. The light is working as his guide to the follow, but he is losing his strength from holding onto the rock. An image of an ethereal, raven-haired, sea green-eyed woman flashes in his mind. Her enchanting voice rings in his mind and this gives him the extra strength to climb up, retrieve the flower, and escape his potential death.

Vivienne releases the breath she was holding.

"He'll still have to face his father's wrath," Valeria points out.

The older sibling nods solemnly, "He will be alright."

* * *

Arthur rides into the city briskly with the antidote for Merlin in his possession. As he nears the castle, half a dozen guards stop him.

Doing as the king orders, they take the prince and put him in the dungeons. His father enters the cell almost immediately.

Uther glares furiously at his son, "You disobeyed me!"

"Of course I did. A man's life was at stake. Do not let Merlin die because of something I did." Arthur pleads.

The king then asks, "Why do you care so much? The boy's just a servant."

"He knew the danger he was putting himself in. He knew what would happen if he drank from that goblet, but he did it anyway. He saved my life." The king is about to turn away, but his son continues to speak. "There's more. There was a woman at the mountain. She knew I was there for the flower. I don't think it was Bayard who tried to poison me."

"Of course it was." He says, dismissing Arthur's suspicions.

His son promptly takes the flower for Merlin's antidote from his waist and takes a step toward his father. "Gaius knows what to do with it." Uther takes the flower. "Put me in the stocks for a week, a month even. I don't care. Just make sure that it gets to him. I'm begging you." He backs away and his father instantly crushes the plant. "No!"

"You have to learn there's a right and a wrong way of doing things. I'll see you're let out in a week." The king walks out of the cell as his son stares at him with disbelieving eyes. "Then you can find yourself another servant." Uther drops the flower in front of the door and closes it.

When his father is out of sight, Arthur drops to the ground and extends his arm out of the cell for the flower. It's still an inch away from his reach, so he attempts to stretch a bit further.

Suddenly, he sees blue fabric in front of him. Pale fingers pick up the flower and softly brush his. Arthur looks up to see…"Morgana?"

He straightens up and she looks him up and down. "Arthur… are you alright?"

"Morgana, Mer-" he starts.

She interrupts, "I will get this to Merlin, but are _you_ alright?"

The prince takes a moment to look at her. Was she actually concerned? Was she really worried about him? Was she-? Arthur pushes the thoughts away, saving them for his week-long stay in the dungeons.

"I'm fine – I'll be fine." She still looks skeptical. "Morgana, _go_. Merlin needs the antidote, _now_." He tells her fervently.

With one last look at her friend, Morgana quickly walks out of the dungeons, leaving Arthur staring after her with relief and awe.

**...**

Taking care to avoiding the eyes of the guards, which are thankfully distracted by Estella, she climbs the stairs and heads to Gaius' chambers.

Morgana is halfway there when she runs into Gwen.

"My Lady, I'm sorry I didn't-" the girl begins.

She brushes her maid's apologies. "It's alright Gwen, but where are you going, shouldn't you be with Merlin?"

The dark-skinned girl explains, "I heard that the prince returned, but the king had put him the dungeons-"

Now the Lady understands. "Oh," she reveals the flower from underneath her blue cloak. "You were going to retrieve _this_?"

Gwen looks at her mistress in shock, "How did you-is that-?"

"There's no time to explain. Just get this to Gaius so he can cure Merlin. I must return to my chambers in case Uther decides to make sure I didn't do anything. _Go_." Morgana gives her a hopeful smile.

The dark-skinned girl nods and swiftly does as her mistress orders, hope blossoming in her chest.

**...**

"His heart has stopped," Gaius says slowly.

Gwen shakes her head, "He's dead." The servant gets up and cries in Gaius' arms.

"I should've looked after him better." The physician whispers.

Suddenly Merlin opens his eyes and speaks, "That's disgusting. You should be ashamed of yourself. You're old enough to be her grandfather."

The older man and the young woman stare in shock. "Merlin, you're alive."

The young man fixes his eyes on his guardian. "No. I'm the ghost come back to haunt you." He jokes with a crooked smile on his still sickly-looking face.

Gwen suddenly grabs Merlin's face and kisses him soundly on the lips.

When she lets go, she flushes. "Sorry, I'm just... I thought you were dead."

Slight coloring fills the warlock's cheeks. "It's fine. It's more than fine." He smiles brilliantly up at Gwen.

* * *

Uther made his apologies to Bayard and the Mercian king was gracious enough to accept. Despite the fact that there is no longer any real danger from the Mercians, Uther still orders his niece to remain in Camelot for extra precaution, much to her chagrin.

As Estella stands at her window watching the guests return to Mercia, she feels a presence enter her chambers. The familiar aura of magic and authority touches her mind.

She turns to see her mother. Valeria looks lazily at the jewels on her daughter's vanity. "You do have more of those here than in Caerleon." She comments.

"In Caerleon, I am a warrior-trained Lady, soon-to-be duchess, raised to lead the army and govern the people." Her nose wrinkles slightly at the jewelry. "Here, I'm the king's niece, meant for him to show off whenever he likes." (This is only her venting her, she truly does love Uther dearly).

"And that is the only reason you wish to leave?" (Although she doesn't). Her mother inquires slyly.

Estella casts her head down. "_Mother_-"

"I know… I know better than anyone, daughter." She fixes her emerald eyes on her child. "But we all have our duties and allegiances that we must uphold."

The Lady turns away from the window and tentatively asks, "Why are you here, Mother?"

Valeria stares at her child and then answers, "I wanted to see how much Camelot has changed since I last was here." She makes a show of disdainfully looking around. "Not much I see." Her daughter is not convinced, so she drops the charade. "You had Morgana go to the dungeons to retrieve the flower," It was more a statement than a question. "There is still time for the dragon's desired prophecy to come to pass."

Fire ignites in the girl's moonlight eyes, "I _won't_ let it happen. I _won't_ let Morgana fall."

"_Make sure of it_." Her mother immediately commands. "And take care to ensure that 'the Bravest and Most Noblest of Them All' establishes his place here."

Estella's eyes actually widen. "He-"

"Yes, in a fortnight, you should expect a new knight of Camelot." Without another word, the woman abruptly departs.

**...**

Arthur is finally released from his cell in the dungeons. Now, he is standing on the battlements beside Morgana, watching the Mercians leave Camelot.

"Okay," Morgana starts, "let the bragging begin – how did you manage it?"

The prince glances at her, but he is not going to brag, "I'm not sure… All I know is that I had help." Morgana's smile drops and she turns to face him. "Someone knew I was in trouble and sent a light to guide the way."

The Lady's forehead creases, "Who?"

Her friend looks down. "I don't know. Whoever it was, I'm only here because of them." That was partially a lie. The light is what guided him to the flower and his escape, but what gave him the strength to return (and he won't be telling anyone this) was… Morgana.

She smiles at him, as if she can hear his thoughts (and most of the time, it seems like she can). "I'm glad you're back," she briefly puts a warm, gentle hand on his shoulder and then turns and goes inside. He's left staring at his shoulder for awhile, until his father calls his name and approaches him.

After a brief discussion of what happened in the forest and magic, Uther says the words that his son is always yearning to hear from him. "I'm proud of you Arthur, never forget that." (And he won't).

* * *

Nimueh glares furiously at the basin, seeing that it shows Merlin completely well and healing. She smashes her fist into the water, breaking the image. The memories of numerous screams echo in her mind.

"I will avenge you, Niniane." The Priestess whispers, "I will have Uther pay for all his sins against you, sister, and our people."

* * *

**Author's Note: As usual, let me know what you think and if you have any questions, I'm always keen to answer. Thanks for reading and please review (and please don't favorite or subscribe w/o reviewing, I would like to know to what you liked about the story and I'm an extremely paranoid writer).**


	5. Chapter 5

**Happy Holidays, everyone!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin.**

* * *

Lancelot

Morgana stands alone on the battlements while looking down at Arthur in the training grounds. Grumant, the second son of Wessex, is the next candidate that the prince will test to see if he has what it takes to be a knight of Camelot. This responsibility is frustrating for the prince as of late (he's complained incessantly), since every man seemed to be keen on failing the test.

The Lady then notices Gwen conversing with Sir Leon and this brings back memories. There was a time when Morgana believed that Leon and Gwen would marry, despite the difference in their rank. They were as Morgana and Arthur had been, inseparatable and the best of friends (although their friendship had some restriction due to Gwen's lowly status).

Unfortunately, as time went on, the companionship became strained. Leon started to focus more on his knighthood (the same thing happened with Arthur) and Gwen was left with her duties as a personal maidservant. Thankfully, the two girls left behind became closer.

Now, there is only a shadow of what was between them. Morgana, herself didn't really mind, but she did miss how close she and Arthur had been. This is the point in which she envies Estella. Her cousin, ever the constant in her life (and Arthur's), has this ability to simply let go and move on (or so Morgana believes).

When she is in Camelot, Estella spends the majority of her time alone. Even when they were children she preferred solitude to company. It wasn't as though she was left out. There were several occasions in which Arthur and Morgana begged her to join them, but more often than not she declined. The reasons why are a mystery to her two cousins.

The wind caresses her face and the Lady sighs, contentedly. She is glad that Gwen is better off. There may not be Leon (who, of course, also turned his interests to other women, Estella being one of them), but there is Merlin. Another smile crosses her face as she recalls how uncomfortable Merlin had been when she mentioned his feelings for her maid. Still, the two are teased endlessly (but they don't mind).

Thankfully, the awkwardness that was usually between the two servants had disappeared. The ward could only wonder why if not for the tidbit Estella mentioned of Gwen kissing Merlin after he was cured about two weeks ago.

Seeing Gwen make her way into the castle, Morgana decides to do the same, as to not alarm the poor girl of the unknown whereabouts of her mistress.

* * *

Merlin looks up from the mushrooms he is picking to see an enormous eagle-faced creature charging towards him. Acting on instinct, the young boy starts to run, but his clumsiness causes him to trip on some tree roots. He continues to attempt escape, but the creature is instantly above him. Preparing for the worse, Merlin closes his eyes tightly, waiting for the pain or death.

However, a young man appears, seemingly out of nowhere, brandishing sword against the beast. The warlock sits up, but is still too petrified to move. The creature slashes it's claws at the armed man and he, in turn, drives his sword into its chest. But to his dismay, his blade shatters.

Completely defenseless, he turns to Merlin, "Run!"

The pair swiftly weave through the trees until they find a few fallen trucks that they hide behind. When the creature emerges from the forest it immediately takes flight.

"It's gone," the boy says breathlessly. He turns to his savior, "You saved my life." The other man does not respond, still trying to catch his breath. "I'm Merlin," the warlock says while offering his hand.

"Lancelot," the stranger replies, but he soon passes out, the adrenaline leaving him, as well as the blood from his wound.

Merlin quickly gathers the stranger, so as to take him to Gaius for treatment.

* * *

"Estella... Estella!" The woman jumps at the sound of her name.

She looks at Morgana, "What?"

Her cousin raises an eyebrow. "Are you well? You seem completely out of sorts, today."

She puts on a faint smile. "Of course. I simply didn't sleep much last night."

The king's ward purses her lips. "Hmm… Sir Owain has been keeping you up, again (she knows that her cousin has gotten over that sadness and this was not about she and Owain as a couple anyway)? Or was it Leon this time? Or was it both-?"

"Oh, thank you, dear cousin. I appreciate how highly you think of me." Estella gives Morgana a dry look to which she answers with a partially apologetic one (and for good reason). "And for your information it was neither of them. It was just another sleepless night for me."

"Why don't you go to Gaius? Perhaps he could make you a draught." She suggests.

Estella scoffs and then sighs while shaking her head. "No amount of remedies can cure me of anything. No tonics, elixirs, or draughts have ever and probably will ever work on me. It is as though my body is immune to them all."

Morgana is about to reply, but the sight of a stranger catches her attention. Standing next to Merlin is a tall, attractive man with brown hair and dark brown eyes.

The king's niece notices the other Lady's distraction. She follows her line of sight and the face she'd been seeing as of late in her visions is before her – Lancelot.

"A rather handsome one isn't he?" the king's ward hums in agreement. "Come, let's go introduce ourselves." Estella says rather giddily as she hooks her arm with Morgana's and pulls her toward the pair of men. The other woman rolls her eyes affectionately at her elder cousin's habit of chasing men a bit too blatantly (what she does not know is that it is all a farce).

Merlin notices the two noblewomen coming toward them and he quickly bows his head, "My Ladies." Lancelot follows suit, despite his ignorance of their identities.

"Merlin," Morgana starts with a smile, "and who would you be?" the Lady inquires the stranger.

The manservant quickly answers, since Lancelot seemed to be in awe of the beauties in his presence. "This is Lancelot." The boy turns to his new friend. "Lancelot, this is the Lady Morgana, the king's ward and his niece, the Lady Estella of Caerleon."

Lancelot regains coherent thoughts and kisses both Ladies' hands chivalrously. "It's a pleasure to meet you, my Ladies."

"Pleasure's all our," Estella replies.

"So are you interested in becoming a knight of Camelot." Morgana inquires.

The newcomer nods. "It's been my dream ever since I was a child."

The ward smiles and is about respond when Arthur arriving at the training grounds interrupts their conversation. The prince, clad in armor and his Pendragon crest, adjusts his gloves and speaks haughtily.

"Right, you jumped-up dung beetle, this is it, the final test. Pass this and you're a knight of Camelot. Fail and you are no one. You face the most feared of all foes, the ultimate killing machine." Morgana rolls her eyes dramatically, while Estella suppresses a laugh. It never ceases to amaze them how arrogant Arthur is. "You face me. Your challenge is to last one minute, free combat. Grumant, second son of Wessex, your time starts now." Merlin and Lancelot eagerly watch, as Estella and Morgana are barely entertained (they have seen this routine numerous times before). Despite Grumant's good show of wielding two swords at once, the man is on the ground before Arthur even strikes with his sword. The prince addresses Merlin, "Take him away." The manservant does as his master bids, giving Lancelot an assuring look.

Estella had already departed and that left Lancelot with Morgana. "Don't be intimidated." Lancelot looks at the ward, his anxiousness written plainly on his face. "Grumant is not as good a warrior as he likes to show and Arthur's ego is too large for all of Camelot to shelter. I'm sure you will pass."

He smiles thankfully at her. "I wish I could have your confidence, my Lady."

"When you face Arthur, I'm sure you will." With one last encouraging smile the woman leaves the training grounds and the man, after a brief moment of watching her, returns to Gaius' chambers.

* * *

Lancelot shifts slightly as the young woman takes his measurements. The silence in the house feeling a bit awkward he says, "This is very kind of you…"

The dark-skinned woman looks up at him, "Gwen," she says sweetly, "short for Guinevere."

"Ah, well then, thank you, Guinevere." He smiles at her.

Lancelot did not quite know what he is feeling. This girl before him is statistically not the fairest (that title would be given to either Lady Morgana or Lady Estella), but something about her subtle beauty attracts him. Was it the brightness of her eyes, the dimples of her cheeks, the sweetness of her smile? The man is not sure, but he tries to catch her eye, however she concentrates on her task (for now oblivious to the attention he is giving her).

"Oh, don't thank me." She glances at her friend. "Thank Merlin. Merlin would do anything for anyone, wouldn't you Merlin." The boy in question simply smiles as the maid continues measuring and he writes down the numbers for her. "I think it's great Merlin's got you this chance. We need men like you."

"You do?" And suddenly their gazes meet directly. Warmth spreads through Lancelot's chest. And Gwen feels a fluttering in her stomach, the same feeling she got with Leon when they were younger and then Merlin when he came to Camelot, but… this feeling is… _stronger_.

And as is her tactic whenever someone's attention is solely on her (and she's aware of it), she brushes her other words aside. "Well, not me, personally but, you know, Camelot. Camelot needs knights. Not just Arthur and his kind but people like you and me."

Merlin immediately notices the spark between his friends and smiles.

Lancelot chuckles, "Well, I'm not a knight yet, my Lady."

"And I'm not a Lady." Gwen laughs softly. The two share a brief look as Merlin looks on. "Well, we're done here. I should have these ready in no time." She puts her hand out, "It was nice to meet you, Lancelot."

On impulse, the man takes the maid's hand and kisses it. When the two men leave, Gwen finally allows herself to let out the breath she was unconsciously holding.

She silently curses herself. Why did her innocent, young heart always yearn for whatever new man that came to Camelot? Whatever this feeling is that Lancelot is stirring up, she finds herself wanting to know what it is and yet wanting to avoid it altogether.

**...**

"She seems very lovely, Guinevere," Lancelot comments with a clearly besotted tone.

The warlock nods, "Oh, yeah, she is. And she's the best seamstress in Camelot, I promise."

Uncomfortably, the other young man asks, "Are you two… you know…"

Merlin laughs, thoroughly amused by his friend's inquiry, "No, no, we're just friends," (In his mind at least).

Lancelot merely nods, feigning indifference. The two do not notice Estella as she turns toward the corridor leading to her chambers, a pleased smirk set on her face.

* * *

As Arthur finished up training with his knights, Gwen and Merlin are helping Lancelot with his armor. The man is constantly fidgeting with anxiety, but he tries to remain straight-faced.

"Well, you certainly look the part," Merlin observes.

"Doesn't he just," Gwen adds gleefully.

Lancelot lets out a nervous breath, shaking his head, "I don't feel it."

The prince dismisses his knights and walks over to the rack to put away his sword.

"Here's your chance, go for it." Merlin pats his friend's back and pushes him forward.

The aspiring knight walks to Arthur.

The prince curiously looks up at him, "Yes?"

The other man nods his head, "Lancelot, fifth son of Lord Eldred of Northumbria."

Arthur examines the man before him. "Lance-a-lot," he says, testing his name. "My servant mentioned. Got your seal?"

He offers the seal and bows slightly, "Sire."

The prince strikes him and the man apathetically falls to the ground. Gwen covers her mouth to suppress her gasp of surprise at what just happened.

"Sluggish reactions. On a battlefield you'd be dead by now." Arthur turns away, noncommittally. "Come back when you're ready."

Lancelot quickly gets back on his feet and confidently states, "I'm ready _now_, Sire."

The other man is blatantly amused. "You are, are you?" He nods. "Fine, you can start by cleaning out the stables."

The other knights that were standing around began laughing. Immediately deflated, Lancelot turns to Merlin who grins broadly at him. If not for Gwen's encouraging smile, Lancelot would have probably run out of Camelot in humiliation.

* * *

It had been a few days since Lancelot arrived in Camelot and since the creature was making its way to Camelot, Prince Arthur allowed the newcomer to take the test early.

"Well, here we are your final challenge. Succeed and you join the elite, fail and your journey ends here. Lancelot, fifth son of Lord Eldred of Northumbria, your time starts, now." The two men put on their helmets and take their stances.

In the next moment they strike at each other. Merlin and Gwen are standing on the sidelines, anxiously watching. They smile brightly when it seems that Lancelot has the upper hand. However when Arthur ducks an attack, Gwen audibly gasps and fiercely grabs Merlin's jacket tightly. She doesn't notice that she's done this until her friend says her name and she is quick to apologize and let go.

The fight continues until Arthur hits Lancelot and, once more, knocks him down. The prince plants his sword into the ground and removes his helmet.

"Shame," he says as he stoops down to grab the cloth attached to the other man's belt. Before he is able to, Lancelot opens his eyes and kicks Arthur's feet under, causing him to lose his balance. The man grabs his sword and stands over the prince with the blade over his heart.

"Do you submit, Sire?"

Merlin and Gwen look on in excitement until the guards grab Lancelot and the prince retrieves his sword.

"On your knees," Arthur commands, roughly. Lancelot's heart is beating rapidly where Camelot's prince has his blade pointed. He won the only way he knew how and now he is starting to regret his actions, but he soon learns that he needn't had worried.

* * *

In the Throne Room, Lancelot kneels before King Uther as he is knighted. "Arise, Sir Lancelot, Knight of Camelot."

The people in the hall immediately applaud as the new knight stands before them. Arthur is looking proudly as Merlin stands beside his master, rather pleased with what his friend accomplished.

"It's almost as if he came out of thin air," Morgana comments.

"I know. It's been a bit of a surprise, to all of us," Gwen replies.

"You do us a great honor, Sir Lancelot. Knighthood is the very foundation of Camelot." Uther says to the knight.

"The honor is all mine, Sire." Lancelot says, still in awe that he actually achieved his goal.

The king nods. "Your father would be very proud."

"Yes, Sire." Lancelot is hesitant, feeling as though he is being interrogated.

"I have not seen Lord Eldred for many years. Longer than I'd imagined, it seems." The older man pauses. "Last time I saw him, he only had _four_ sons."

The younger man nearly panics, but he remains composed. "Well... Here I am."

Uther smiles. "Indeed you are, and I've kept you too long already. Enjoy the celebrations."

"Sire," Lancelot bows and the king turns away. The other knights immediately surround Lancelot to congratulate him personally and lead him to the Hall of Ceremonies.

* * *

The prince and his new knight are sitting on a table conversing and fully enjoying the festivities in Lancelot's honor. Arthur takes a long drink, but as he lowers his tankard, he sees Morgana walking with her maidservant to the table, his eyes widen and his breath is suddenly caught in his throat. She is wearing that wine-colored dress again, but this time the belt of leaves is replaced with a jeweled belt and her back is bare. Her raven hair is pulled up and her lips are red.

Steeling himself, he amusingly comments, "Here's trouble." Lancelot, not missing the touch of affection in Arthur's tone, looks up to see the Lady Morgana. "Tell me," the prince continues, "Do you… think her…" he struggles with what word he should use and having nothing else in mind settles for, "beautiful?"

The new knight only glimpses at the lovely Morgana as his eyes stray to sweet Guinevere approaching Merlin. Without really thinking he answers, "Yes, Sire. I do."

Arthur sighs, not noticing that Lancelot was talking about Gwen instead of Morgana (though the new knight's answer would have been the same nonetheless). "Yeah… I suppose she is," he sighs.

Morgana's eyes meets his as she flirtatiously pops a grape in her mouth and smiles. Arthur could do nothing but smile back, while the wine allowed his mind to think of things he really shouldn't being thinking, especially about Morgana.

**...**

In a dim corner of the hall, Estella is nursing a goblet of wine as she watches her cousins mentally undress each other. A pleased smile spreads on her lips, but it falters a bit. _'How long are they going to do this only mentally, though?'_ The frustration she has from her cousins constantly denying any attraction between them is nearly fatal. Almost as deadly as standing in their proximity when they look at each other as they are now.

Her thoughts are interrupted as strong arms slip around her slender waist and lips are pressed onto her neck. She pulls away from the man's embrace.

"Owain, really, it's too early in the night to be drunk already." She chastises.

The knight laughs as tightens his hold on the woman, but refrains from kissing her. "I'm not drunk."

"Then why are you so publicly displaying affection?" Her tone is lethal.

Owain puts on that brave front that Arthur's taught him. "My affections should be declared to the world."

The Lady roughly pushes the knight to the wall. "And I thought we made it clear what this relationship is."

"Estella-" He starts.

But of course, she interrupts, "You know that the king would not take it lightly if he was learn that his beloved niece was not as innocent as she seems and he would inflict his wrath on the man responsible for it."

Horror fills the young knight's eyes. "It is not I-I _I_ was not the one who took your virtue."

Her face is void of emotion as she lifts a delicate brow, "Yes, but it would be your word against mind and we both know whose side my uncle will take. So, unless you have a death wish, you will _never_ come to me again in such a way."

She moves to walk away, but he tugs at her bare arm. She glares at him and he immediately releases her. He stutters, "Are you- do you mean to-?"

"Don't drink too much this evening. I would hate to be displeased," (Although, it is more concern for his health and sobriety than his abilities in the bed chamber). With that said, she quickly walks away from Owain, leaving him watching her longingly.

**...**

"You know what," Merlin starts as his friend looks at him curiously, "I think our Sir Lancelot may have eyes for you, Gwen."

The maid chuckles, dismissing the other servant's thoughts, "Don't be silly."

"What, so what if he did, would that really be so bad?" he asks.

"He's not really my type," she sighs.

"Oh, well there's a surprise." Merlin leans toward her. "Sometimes, Guinevere, I wonder if you knew what your type was, whether you'd notice if he were standing right next to you."

Gwen slightly shifts her feet, "You're probably right." Her eyes flicker to his face when he's not looking.

Merlin retrieves another tankard of wine. Looking back at the Lancelot and Arthur, he sees that Leon had joined the other two knights and an idea comes to him (he is aware of the history that Leon and Gwen has).

He turns back to Gwen, grinning, "So, come on, just for the sake of argument. If you had to: Lancelot or Leon?"

This catches her by surprise and it takes her a moment to answer. Leon, her old friend and first crush or Lancelot her– No, _no_ he isn't really her anything. Merlin is smiling in the way that tells her that he knows that she is actually contemplating between the two men (though there is some pity in his eyes, for he sees the conflict she feels). Pushing away her thoughts she chuckles and replies, "I don't have to and I never will."

Merlin scoffs good-naturedly, "Ah, you are no fun, Gwen."

They share another laugh as the celebration continue well into the night.

* * *

Unfortunately, these happy times were not to last. Geoffrey of Monmouth discovers that Lancelot forged his seal and the king had the man arrested.

As he sits now, awaiting his fate, the door to his cell opens and the prince storms in. Lancelot stands before him, preparing for the worse.

His words are laced with anger. "I should have known. How could I have been so stupid? You don't _sound_ like a knight. You don't even _look_ like a knight!"

The dark-haired man nods slowly, "I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry too." The prince's tone eases. "Because, Lancelot, you_ fight_ like a knight. And I need... Camelot needs..."

"The creature?" he inquires.

The golden-haired man nods. "We could not kill it. I've never faced it's like."

"I faced it myself, Sire, some days past." He exhales thoughtful. "I struck it full square. I wondered how it endured."

The prince's blue eyes stare at the other man's face. "There are those who believe this _creature_, this _griffin_, is a creature of magic. It's only magic that can destroy it."

Lancelot steps forward. "Do you believe this?"

Arthur turns from him. "It doesn't matter what I believe. Use of magic is not permitted. Knights must prevail with steel and sinew alone."

"Sire..."

"There's a horse waiting outside." He tells him.

Misunderstanding the prince's words, he says, "Thank you. Thank you, Sire-"

"Lancelot, take it and never return to this place," the prince orders (the words are bitter on his tongue and he truly wishes he did not have to do this, but it is better than seeing this man dead).

Lancelot shakes his head. "No, no... Please... It's not my freedom I seek. I only wish to serve with honor."

"I know." Arthur nods.

"Then let me ride with you, Sire." Lancelot nearly begs.

Arthur faces him again. "I cannot. My father knows nothing of this. I release you myself but I can do no more. Now go, before I change my mind."

He turns his back again to the former knight, discontinuing the conversation and Lancelot recognizes this and takes his leave.

* * *

A knock at her door causes the handmaid to turn.

"I'm sorry to disturb you, my Lady." The young man says as he enters Gwen's house.

The maid stands up from her desk. "Lancelot, what are you doing here?"

"I have no time to explain. I need weapons, armor the best you've got." He tells her.

Gwen's forehead wrinkles, "What's this all about?"

"Arthur stands in mortal peril. I must do what I can to protect him. It's my duty, knight or not." Lancelot explains.

She gives him a look of stern wonder. "You really believe that, don't you?"

"Yes, my Lady." He says with no doubt.

"Lancelot, I don't believe I've ever met your like before." She remarks while shaking her head.

The man steps closer to Gwen, "Guinevere, if I should not return-"

Fear grips at her heart, so she interrupts him, "Don't go, Lancelot. Please."

The two stare deeply into each other's eyes. Gwen's eyes pleading, Lancelot's torn, but he is known as 'the Bravest and Most Noblest of Them All' and that is title he will strive to live up to.

He looks away and quickly back at the woman in front of him. "But go I must," he tells her and she can only accept this as she goes to gather what he requires.

* * *

The knights of Camelot sent to kill the monster lay strewn on the ground, all of them dead. One warrior, however, remains.

In silver armor, Lancelot sits astride his white horse, brandishing a long spear.

The Griffon emerges from the light fog and charges toward the man, shrieking as it takes flight.

Merlin stands a distance behind, repeating the spell that would kill the monster, "_Bregdan anweald gafeluec_!"

The spell finally works. An electric, blue flame ignites from the tip of the spear. Lancelot strikes and kills the beast.

Despite his triumph over the creature and Arthur's strong protests, Uther refuses to bend the laws for Lancelot. And Lancelot ever the honorable (he wasn't known as 'the Bravest and Most Noblest of Them All' for nothing) could not stand for there to be conflict between father and son on his behalf.

His final words: "I must start again, far from here, and maybe one day fate will grant me another chance to prove to myself that I am truly worthy of being a knight of Camelot."

**...**

Estella is contemplating a vase of flowers when she catches sight of her maid staring out of the window with a sad expression on her face.

"Gwen? Guinevere?" the girl does not respond as her mistress approaches, "Lancelot?" Estella questions with a knowing expression.

"Oh… yes," Gwen sighs. (She still does not understand the feelings she has around and for Lancelot, but she believes that her fancy of Merlin has passed).

The Lady sympathizes with her maid. She knows the feeling of having someone dear leaving too soon. She decides to distract her, at least for now (for their journeys are not over yet).

"Come, Gwen. Busy day ahead," she beckons for her maid to follow and, after one last glance at Lancelot, the girl does.

* * *

Arthur stands atop the battlements as he watches Lancelot gallop away on his horse. He feels a presence coming up to him and instinctively knows that it is Morgana. They stand together in comfortable silence until he speaks up.

"Father should have restored his knighthood." He states.

Morgana nods. "I know, but you know your father. The law is the law and nothing and no one will help him see reason to change…" Arthur would have asked Estella to try her luck, which more often than not worked, but somehow he knew that this is one the rare occasions where Estella could not persuade her uncle. "However, I must say, this is probably the first time I've heard you speak so avidly against Uther."

The prince exhales deeply. "I guess you're becoming a bad influence on me."

She narrows her eyes, though the quirk of his lips refrains her from completely lashing out. "Since when is it a bad thing to stand up for what you think is right."

"Since you've got me doing it," The prince explains, "It's uncharacteristic of me."

She gives him a dry look. "Your superior façade only works on your subjects, Arthur and _I_ am not one of them." (Of course he knows this, but it does not mean that he will drop the pretense, they all have their roles to play).

The two are quiet for a few more moments and then Arthur asks, "Do think he will ever return?"

Morgana sighs and quotes Estella, _"One way or another, if something is meant to be it will happen, it only needs time."_

Arthur nods, thinking of something else that he secretly (unknowingly) hopes would happen in time.

* * *

**Author's Note: If it seems like Estella's got a somewhat split personality then good because this is somewhat the approach I'm going for (if not, then whatever, it's fine) I promise if you just bare with me, all will be clear, in time. And don't worry, we'll be seeing Lancelot again, sooner than in the show ;).**

**The Leon and Gwen supposed romance bit? I blame it on Angel and Rupert being so cute together. As usual, let me know what you think and if you have any questions, I'm always keen to answer. Thanks for reading and please review (and please don't favorite or subscribe w/o reviewing, I would like to know to what you liked about the story, I am a paranoid writer).**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin.**

* * *

A Remedy to Cure All Ills

The king's niece returns from the Darkling Woods just before the sun rises. Only the servants and knights are awake, so no one pays her any mind… until she gets into the castle. As she walks down the corridor leading to her chambers, she passes Arthur walking in the opposite direction with Leon and Owain. The three of them were discussing something about their training with the other knights.

Usually, Estella would simply brushes past them, leaving them to stare in her wake, but she is in a rather mischievous mood. So, when she pasts the three men this time she 'accidentally' loses the ribbon that was in her hair and it flutters in the air falling on a window sill.

They don't even notice it at first. Owain and Leon simply notice _her_ and they stop in their tracks. Arthur only a moment later, realizes the distraction and nearly rolls his eyes. Going back, he punches his two knights to get their attentions.

The two are jolted from their fantasies. "Sire…" they say at once, at the same time.

The prince's lips are set in a tight line. He's obviously not angry, but not very happy either. "I am aware that the Lady Estella is quite beautiful, but the king would have your heads if he caught you looking at her like that." The two look down with some semblance of shame, not saying anything. Arthur's face softens as well as his tone. "Besides, she's more likely to marry a rock than either of you."

This makes the woman turn and stroll back to the three knights. Her fair face is emotionless, but her eyes resemble silver daggers and they are just as sharp and cutting. "I resent that, Cousin."

Arthur had the decency to actually look apologetic (but he did fear his elder cousin and it really was only a joke). "I only speak the truth." She actually rolls her eyes at this as he assesses her attire. "Returning from another early morning stroll?"

While the cousins converse, Leon takes notice of her loose black hair and her ribbon missing. He glances around and spots it on the window sill. The knight retrieves it and chivalrously offers the piece of cloth to the king's niece.

"My Lady, I believe you dropped this." He says softly.

She gently takes her cerulean ribbon, softly brushing his fingers, which causes them to tingle. "Did I now?" Leon looks bashful from the undertone of her words. The woman smiles and quirks a delicate brow, "Well, would you like to help me put it back in my hair?"

Leon is at a loss for words at her brazenness as Owain glares at the exchange. Arthur, ignoring Owain, clears his throat. "I'm sure he would love to help, but we must get to training." The prince roughly shoves his men in the direction they were initiating heading. "Have a lovely day, cousin."

Chuckling lightly she says, "You as well, Arthur. Next time, though, I would appreciate it if you did not ruin my fun."

**...**

Gwen steps into her other mistress' chambers. "Look what's just arrived for you!" she announces.

Morgana looks up from her jewelry and sees the numerous lilies. "Who are they from?" Gwen hands her the flowers.

"I don't know. Maybe Arthur?" she hints.

The woman's delighted expression turns into an amused sneer, "How disappointing."

"Why, would you like them to be from?" Her maid asks.

She feigns actual contemplation. "I don't know, tall, dark stranger?" she suggests.

Gwen laughs softly as she takes the lilies and places them on the bedside table. Morgana could not refrain from glancing fondly at them.

* * *

Sir Owain drowsily opens his eyes to bright sunlight streaming into his room. He groans and stretches his arm to the other side of his bed. Feeling it empty and cold, he springs up and looks around.

He spots the woman who should be beside him standing at the window. Fully dressed and thoughtfully chewing on an apple, Lady Estella doesn't seem to notice that Owain had awoken (but she does, the past is simply haunting her, again).

The knight allows himself, for that moment, to fully appreciate the image of the noblewoman before him. Her tall, curvaceous body is garbed in a royal blue, velvet gown; around her slender neck is a sapphire necklace, and on her delicate wrist, a matching bracelet. Her long, luscious, ebony locks are pulled onto one shoulder, leaving visible the pale marks he had given her last night (and would be gone before the afternoon).

She speaks suddenly, making it clear that she is aware that he is awake and that she is peeved. "You took long, enough."

Owain puts on a lazy grin. "Well, I was recovering from the rigorous activities from the night."

Estella snorts in an extremely un-ladylike manner. "What rigorous activity?"

He points towards the marks on her neck. "I'm sure those will remind you."

She doesn't even flinch. "Well it was certainly pleasurable, but not much of a workout." The young man had the audacity to look offended. "Really, you are too confident in your abilities as a bed partner." Again, he does not speak, so she continues. "It seems you can't even handle me in bed, how do you think you can handle me on the battlefield?" (When she and Morgana spar with him and Leon, Morgana is always his partner and Estella Leon's).

"Because I am trained by the best," he answers arrogantly, regaining some assurance.

The woman rolls her eyes. "Well, I was trained _beside_ the best. Therefore it is safe to assume that I am better than you." She went to his mirror to check her face, signaling that that discussion is over.

The young man sighs as something occurs to him. "Why is it that you always leave me in bed?"

She is taken aback for a second, but recovers quickly. "It's better than _me_ being left." (He does not notice the melancholy in her eyes).

"A knight never leaves his Lady." He declares.

Estella turns with her eyes fierce and narrowed. "_I'm not your Lady_."

He slowly eyes her, "Well… what w-"

"Simply because I warm your bed at night, does not mean that I belong to you. And don't you forget who is in control and the more experienced," Her eyes flicker to the bruises that were left from her tying him up. "The first night you were… _quite_ innocent, were you not?"

His face reddening says it all and he gulps at her unvoiced threat and the fire in those gray orbs of hers. She glances out the window. "You're going to be late for your training session."

This reminder that he had training made him spring from his bed. "Umm… When did you plan to come to me again?"

"Why does it matter? It is not as if you have other liaisons as I do." He looks up from his clothes and armor, clearly dismay. She quirks an elegant brow, "What, did you really think I didn't know about your lack of partners or is it because you are not the only one?" The young knight struggles to form coherent words, but could not for the life of think of what to say.

The woman sighs in exasperation. "I don't even- Never mind. I will not be returning." She heads to the door and opens it. Hearing heavy footsteps behind her, she turns and her eyebrows rise. Seeing Owain nearly run after completely naked made her snicker. "You may want to put on some pants." Realizing that he wasn't wearing anything the young man flushes. Estella shuts the door. "What is it?"

"What do you mean you're not returning?" he demands.

She rolls her eyes. "I told you, the king has finally deemed it safe enough for me to travel, so Lord Agravaine has sent my knights and they shall be escorting me back to Caerleon."

He doesn't dare to think what she seems to be implying. "But… when you return to Camelot-"

Estella's expression is clearly one of annoyance. "It doesn't mean I'm returning to _you_. Get yourself another woman if you're going to be lonely, I don't care." With that, she wrenches the door and slams it after stepping out. (Really, she didn't want to be so harsh, but this is what it would take for Owain to leave her be).

* * *

It's nearly two days since the lilies arrived for Morgana. Since the morning afterward, she hasn't rose from her slumber. Gaius did what he could with what he knew, but nothing he tried worked and this deepens the royal family's worry.

The king remains true to his friend, believing that the Court Physician would eventually find a cure. Estella, even while knowing that sorcery is the cause, cannot do anything. Never is there a time in which Morgana is left alone, so the king's niece sits back and watches with a clenched heart.

The prince tries to continue on as if nothing is wrong, but during his breaks in the day, when he would simply relax in his chambers, he visits Morgana. He does not really know what to think of the whole situation.

The only thing he knows is that he and Morgana fight and bicker and half the time she makes him want to pull his hair out... but the idea of a world without her is too terrible to contemplate. So he holds onto the knowledge that Morgana is strong and a fighter, rarely anything defeats her and (for him) this time is no different.

**...**

Arthur is informed that some visitor insists on meeting him. He has little sympathy to waste on a stranger – all he could think of is Morgana, but as the future king he must attend to all his duties (especially when his father is lax with his, but he doesn't blame the king).

Stepping into the courtyard, the prince skips any pleasantries and immediately questions the scar-faced man. "What's your business here?"

The man answers, "My name is Edwin Muirden and I have a remedy to cure all ills."

This knowledge has little impression on Arthur, "Is that so?"

"I beg an audience with the king." He tells the prince.

"Our court has a physician." He informs the stranger, continuing on his way to Morgana's chambers.

To his astonishment the man has the gall to speak of her. "I hear the Lady Morgana is gravely ill."

Arthur abruptly turns and snaps, "That is no concern of yours."

"I may be able to help her," The man calmly states.

"Our physician has the matter in hand," He says in a surprisingly even tone, but it is laced with a recognizable threat if pushed further.

So, Edwin simply bows his head. "I'll be at the inn, in case you change your mind." Arthur glowers at the man before entering the castle once more.

**...**

Arthur sits besides Morgana's bed watching, waiting, hoping for her to open her eyes. She remains still. Her usually shining hair is lank around her shoulders, her skin is sickly pale, if it wasn't for the slight rise and fall of her chest, she could pass for a corpse- _'No!' _the prince stops that thought. He cannot think that.

Morgana will live. Morgana will get better. He is sure of it.

Tentatively, he puts his hand on top of hers and squeezes her fingers. "You're not going to die." He pauses. "I promised once that I would never leave you alone. You made me the same promise and even though we may fight all time, we never break our promises." Arthur pauses, feeling a bit awkward. "Come back, Morgana. We need you."

He moves his hand and continues his watch over her.

* * *

That night, Arthur sits with his chair in front of the fire, awaiting any news of Morgana's condition. He is thankful that his cousin and Merlin are in the room with him, otherwise he'd be left to ponder on Morgana's fate alone and that would eventually lead him to think the worse of things.

Estella, having been forced by Gaius to leave Morgana's side, though unable to be alone either, is silent as she simply stares into the flames.

The manservant, however, is pacing on one side of the room. "It's going to be alright. It is. I know it is. She's gonna be absolutely-"

"Merlin!" his master interrupts the boy's rambling.

"What?" he sounds surprised by Arthur's sudden outburst.

Through clenched teethed, the prince answers, "You're making me anxious."

"But I'm not worried," He insists and resumes his previous activity.

Arthur's fist tightens and he begins to rub his temple, "Then _stop pacing_."

Cautiously, he settles into the chair next to Estella. He still is not able to keep still as his fingers start tapping against the table. And Arthur, in the same restless state, gets up from his chair and begins pacing in front of the fireplace.

Merlin watches Arthur before his eyes flicker to the Lady beside him, whose eyes had not left the flames. Merlin's been in Camelot long enough to know that the king's niece is not as blatantly empathetic as her equally as beautiful Lady cousin, but if ever there's a time Estella will show her emotions, it is where Morgana's health and safety are concerned. The same could be said about Arthur.

* * *

The next morning, Gaius, Uther, Arthur, and Estella are in Morgana's chambers yet again. There is no visible change.

When the physician straightens up after his examination of her, he looks to the king. "I cannot preserve her life much for longer. She has hours, maybe less."

"We cannot let her die!" Arthur cries in anguish, voicing what Estella's thoughts are screaming. Though she is almost certain that this illness will not kill Morgana, the shadows of doubt are always with her, no matter the situation.

"Arthur, please." Uther implores as he sits on Morgana's bed.

But the king's son would not be silenced, he moves to the other side of Morgana's bed. "There's a man. He came to the castle yesterday. He claims he can cure her."

The king says, "That's ridiculous. He doesn't know what's wrong with her."

Arthur quickly continues, "He says he has a remedy to cure all ills."

Gaius feels great sympathy for the young prince. Desperation is making him grasp at any possibility. But the physician has studied medicine for many years and he knows there is no such remedy that exists in the world, "Impossible," He voices.

Arthur wouldn't listen. "But for Morgana's sake, surely, we should at least hear him out. I mean what have we got to lose?" He looks to the king, "_Please_, Father."

Gaius wouldn't allow the royals any false hope, therefore he cautions, "It may be some charlatan hoping for a quick shilling."

"I don't care!" Arthur shouts, "If she's about to die, then what harm can it do? Give him his shilling! If there's one chance in a million he can save her, then why not?"

As the king sits and contemplates his son's words, Gaius could only look upon the prince with something akin to wonder. In the eyes of the court, Morgana and Arthur's complicated relationship always lead to unfortunate situations. Affection, genuine or otherwise, can soon turn to sniping and emotion, real or not, is dismissed with sarcasm. But what the physician now sees is that the shadow of death allows one (both) to show his (their) true feelings. As Morgana lies at death's door, Arthur in his desperation shows how much he cares. He will try _anything_, even turning to an unknown physician, to cure Morgana.

Finally, Uther says to his son, "Send for him." And Arthur hastily does so.

* * *

Arthur stations himself in the corner of Morgana's chambers, his sky blue eyes filled with melancholy. Uther stands at the end of her bed, watching for any signs of change. Estella had not moved from Morgana's side and Gaius stands on the other side, the four of them silent as they wait for the physician to arrive.

When he does, Estella nearly twitches at the essence of magic. The Lady can recognize Morgana and Gaius as if they were her own, and she has learned how to distinguish Merlin's, but this magical aura she felt from the lilies three days ago. A feeling of dread runs through her, but before she can react, Edwin asks everyone to leave.

The king's niece stares incredulously at the scar-faced man. "Someone should be with her," Callousness patent in her words.

Edwin looks upon the young woman, dismissing the tone for her grief. "The Lady Estella, I presume." He makes a show of bowing courteously to her. "I must say your beauty is far grea-"

"Don't try to flatter me to get your way!" she barks.

"Estella," the king implores, believing that the girl is simply as desperate as everyone else for Morgana's recovery. "Come, we must leave Edwin to do his work."

She tries to protest, "But, Uncle-"

"Come, child." Uther then tugs his niece from the chair and ushers her, rather forcefully, out the room. She doesn't complain this time, knowing that there is naught she can do. _  
_

Gaius is also called upon by the king when he lingers behind.

**...**

Gwen opens the door to Morgana's chambers and abruptly stops. While her mistress lays immobile on her bed, a strange man leans over her. Though the maid reasons that this is the foreign physician that Estella informed her of, the proximity in which the man leans toward Morgana is… unsettling.

The young girl cranes her neck in order to better see what the physician is doing, but he senses her eyes on him.

"Why are spying on me?" he demands.

"I wasn't, I'm her maidservant," she answers, innocently.

"Then bring me some water." He orders.

Gwen's suspicion intensifies at the obvious attempt to make her leave, "Someone-"

"Do you want to be responsible for her death?" he questions.

"No, but-"

Edwin interrupts, "Then, you will bring me some water, _now_. Or she may die."

At his extremely insistent tone, she then reluctantly leaves her friend alone with the man, moving quickly in order to return as fast as possible.

**...**

To Arthur, it feels like an eternity since they left Morgana to be examined by Edwin. He stands next his father, presenting his princely stance as they wait. Occasionally, he glances at his cousin, sitting on a chair, her hands shaking in her lap. Arthur is about to approach her when Edwin comes down from Morgana's chambers.

"Great news, Your Majesty, you will be glad to hear it is _not_ an inflammation of the brain." He announces.

"What is it then?" the king inquires.

He says, "It is a cerebral hemorrhage."

"Hemorrhage?" Gaius repeats. "I don't think so."

_Holding out a blood-stained handkerchief, Edwin says, __"_I found this trace of blood in her ear."

"God in Heaven!" exclaims Uther.

"The severity depends upon the site and the volume of the bleed. If not treated, it can lead to coma and eventually death." Edwin explains to the royals.

The king turns to Gaius, "How could you have missed this?"

"I didn't see any blood." He adamantly answers.

Edwin intercedes, "Please. Just thank the Fates you did not administer more rosemary to stimulate the circulation. Can you imagine what that might have done?"

The king and the prince apprehensively look to Gaius once more, while the Lady beside them holds her darkened stare on the foreigner. "It may have increased the bleed." He replies, gravely.

"Is there a cure?" the king demands.

Edwin smiles graciously, "See for yourself."

Uther then climbs up the stairs with Arthur and Estella at his heels. The other three close behind. He opens the door to find Morgana sitting up in bed, awaken and well again.

"Morgana, this is truly a miracle!" The king gently kisses her forehead. "I thought... I really thought..."

The recovered Lady softly laughs, "Oh, you won't get rid of me that easily."

"What exactly did he give you?" Gaius urgently asks.

"I have no idea, but thank Heaven he did." Morgana responds as her cousin tightly hugs her. She laughs softly as Estella holds back her cries of joy.

Arthur smiles at the sight. "Careful, Cousin, you may put Morgana at death's door again," he jokes.

The two women are not the least bit amused. "Thank you, Arthur for your optimism," Morgana sarcastically remarks.

This causes Arthur's grin to widen as he gently takes her hand and says, "I'm glad you're back." And for a moment they hold each other's gazes, their eyes always seemed to say more than words ever could, until Uther has everyone leave the room in order for Morgana to recuperate properly. Arthur reluctantly lets go.

* * *

Morgana is sitting on a chair at her table. A fire is blazing in the hearth, while she watches the crackles, for some reason, fascinated by the dancing flames. Gwen cushioned the chair with pillows and blankets, she also wrapped Morgana is her softest and warmest clothes, to ensure his mistress' warmth and comfort and quick recovery.

A knock at her door pulls her out of her personal thoughts. "Come in," she says.

Arthur enters slowly and cautiously. Standing a few feet from her, "How are you feeling?" he asks.

She attempts to smile, "Slowly, but surely getting better."

The prince grins. "Good, you should be back to terrorizing the castle in no time." The Lady is too weak to roll her eyes, so she simply laughs. Arthur looks around awkwardly, not sure what else to say to her. He sees something missing from the room, "What happened to the lilies?" He only noticed their presence in Morgana's room because he nearly caused them to fall over during one of his private visits.

The woman glances at the table where the lilies used to be. "Gwen took them away, Estella ordered it."

That sounded strange. "Why?"

"Something about them having toxic insect larvae in them," she wrinkles her nose and so does Arthur. "Obviously, they weren't from you."

"What?"

She shakes her head, slightly embarrassed, "Nothing."

"You thought the flowers were from me?"

"It was a joke Arthur, Gwen suggested it, but I knew better."

The prince nods, "Yeah, I wouldn't send you flowers, I would just give them to you."

Gwen chooses to enter the chambers with a tray of food. Noticing the king's son, she quickly curtsies.

Arthur gives her a nod of acknowledgement. Putting his hand on Morgana's shoulder, he bids her good night and leaves. The two of them are both left with warm feelings in their chests.

* * *

Estella stands near her gray horse in the main square. Around her, there are knights of Caerleon, watching as she bids her farewells.

She steps up to her uncle and he embraces her warmly. "Oh, I will miss you greatly, my dear."

"I will miss you, as well, my Lord." Her sentiment is not as heartfelt, but the king doesn't notice (he never does when it comes to her).

When they pull back he looks over her and cautions, "Be safe."

The young woman nods and turns to Morgana to hug her gently. "I hope you recover quickly."

"Thank you…" Her forced smile falls. "I don't want you to go."

Estella pulls back and smiles. "Don't worry, I'll be back for Arthur's birthday, wouldn't miss his crowning for the world. And that is only a few weeks away." This assures Morgana.

Finally, the king's niece goes to her other cousin. He embraces her and says, "I know you won't believe it, but I will miss you."

Her laughter is musical. "Well, I can at least pretend that you are sincere." She pauses and her eyes flicker at Edwin staring from his window at Morgana standing off to their left with Gwen supporting her. "Take care of her," she whispers, a slight shiver of fear toning her words.

Arthur doesn't have to ask who. "I will," He promises.

The woman steps back and then walks to her horse and nimbly jumps onto its back. Everyone has long since learned of how proficient she is with a horse and therefore do not berate her for not riding as a noblewoman should.

The knights surround her and pledge to King Uther that they would protect the Lady Estella with their lives. After which the company leaves the city.

* * *

A few days later, Edwin comes before the king, having finished his review of Gaius' work. With a great amount of seemingly genuine regret, he informs the king that Gaius' old age has caused him to make a number of errors in his medical practice.

Uther, believing and trusting in Edwin's words, makes the decision to relieve Gaius of his position as the Court Physician. Morgana attempts to sway her guardian, but his fear of history repeating itself keeps his mind firm in his judgment.

Merlin, knowing that the king wouldn't even give a second's thought to what a servant had to say, goes to his master. The young warlock watches Arthur practicing with his sword as he speaks up for Gaius.

The prince listens almost patiently to his servant's passionate defense of Gaius. Sadly for Merlin, however, the prince did not agree with him. There is no personal hatred against the elder man, he's been his physician since his very birth, but Morgana's recent illness has Arthur fearing even more for her.

"I can't understand why the king would sack him over one mistake." He finishes.

Arthur looks at Merlin apathetically, "A mistake that nearly killed Morgana. Besides it wasn't the only one."

"What do mean?" he asks.

The prince sighs, "Edwin said his work was riddled with errors."

The servant shakes his head, "That's nonsense."

"No one wants Gaius to go, but my father's already made his decision. There's nothing anyone can do." The prince plants his sword into the ground and walks away.

* * *

Gaius sits on a log, watching as the fire crackles, apprehension stemming into his mind.

"And for good cause…" The old man looks up at the sudden sound of a feminine voice. There standing before him, is a tall, dark-haired woman, whose beautiful face he thought he would never see again.

She continues. "…That uneasy feeling that something is wrong." For a long while, Gaius does not respond. "Nothing to say?" Her emerald eyes are bright in the fire's light. "Or did you forget who I am?"

"Your daughter is very much like you," he tells her bluntly.

A melodious laugh rings through the darkness and the figure of another woman steps from behind the first. "Wouldn't want my daughter to be like me."

The elder man inclines his head to the woman. "Valeria," and to the first woman, "Vivienne."

"What are you doing here, Gaius?" Vivienne inquires.

He sighs, "I'm sure the both of you know."

"Yes," Valeria drawls, "But we are aware of the current circumstances of Camelot's court, but what we do not understand is why you are not trying to do anything about it." The former Court Physician is silenced yet again.

"Gaius, we know that being a person not gifted with certain abilities makes decision making rather difficult, but instead of turning a blind eye you should learn to stand up."

"Vivienne, you have always dreamed of a united Albion that is free and just, why must I prevent that from happening?" he reminds her.

"The time for that Albion is not now." She replies sternly.

"There is much for their generation to learn before they are ready to fulfill their destinies." The younger twin pauses. "Besides, Merlin will try to save Uther because with his knowledge that's what he knows you would do."

"Make your decision, Physician." Those being her last words, Vivienne walks into the darkness of the trees.

Valeria stays. "Don't put too much faith into that dragon's words. You can blame me for having a biased opinion, but he cannot be trusted as he says Morgana and Estella are not to be." Gaius says nothing. "Merlin may protect Arthur and one day Arthur may rule over Albion, but there is the matter of his queen and her protector."

"What are you trying to say?" the old man shakes his head.

The woman's eyes are cold and demanding. "Do _not_ let anything happen to those girls. Theirs is a destiny that intertwines with Merlin and Arthur's and so many others. One little thing or one person may be able to change the future, but it takes many to ensure that there is one."

Without a farewell, she quickly follows her sister into the shadows.

* * *

Gaius returns to Camelot and with Merlin's help they are able to thwart Edwin's plan and save Uther. The prince sentences Edwin to death for his crimes and the king – finally seeing some sense – reinstates Gaius as the Court Physician and names him a free man of Camelot.

As Gaius holds up the parchment Uther presented him with, his eyes fall on the First Lady and the Prince of Camelot. Valeria's words ring in his ear and many possibilities run through his mind. He recalls a forgotten thought of Camelot's court: a marriage between Prince Arthur and Lady Morgana. It was once seen as the most rightful union for Arthur, but when it became clear that the two could no longer stand each other, the idea was dismissed.

But the Court Physician watches the two young nobles, so different and yet so alike, standing in such close proximity, he can't help but think that what once was, may be again. _'Perhaps one day…'_

* * *

**Author's Note: So, we get more of a bitchy Estella, but it is the way she is so... I hope she doesn't bother you too much. Thanks for reading and please review.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: Thanks so much to my fanfic twin for helping me with my writing! Azar443 (amazing author btw, with must read stories) you're wonderful!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin.**

* * *

The Gates of Avalon

Morgana's brow furrows and beads of sweat start to form on her forehead. Her breathing becomes ragged and her head throbs slightly as the vision comes to her.

_A figure in armor is floating underwater, slowly sinking to the bottom. Glowing light surrounds the man as his face is revealed to be Arthur's. Above him, a young woman stands and watches as the prince drowns._

"Arthur!" Morgana's eyes snap open. The dream still very clear in her mind unsettling her nerves.

Looking around, she takes in the familiar surroundings of her chambers and attempts to calm herself. Knowing that she wouldn't be able to fall asleep again, Morgana gets out of bed and goes to her window. Staring out as the city wakes up and waiting for her maid to come in.

**...**

When Gwen arrives with her breakfast, her mistress only nibbles on a bit fruit, her stomach feeling too uneasy to eat very much.

The younger woman takes notice. "Are you alright, my Lady? You've hardly eaten?"

Morgana sighs, tiredly, "I've been having nightmares, Gwen."

"Do you want to talk about it?" The other woman looks upon her mistress with worry.

"No, it's fine." Dismissing Gwen for the rest of the morning, Morgana decides to go to Gaius about her dream.

In the past, it had always been Arthur Morgana had gone to when she had nightmares. He never asked and she rarely told; most of the time, they simply stayed together in companionable silence until Morgana felt better. If the dreams were particularly vivid, Morgana would tell Estella. Her beloved cousin would listen attentively, but did not say very much, simply cautioning her to be careful.

When Uther learned of Morgana's night terrors, he immediately had Gaius attend to her. As the physician made her draughts, he would question her about the dreams. Something about the elder man made Morgana feel at ease and so she was always able to tell him exactly what she saw.

As she is on her way to the Court Physician's room, however, something makes her stop. The face of the golden brown-haired girl she saw in her dream.

Rushing to Merlin, who had just given the foreign girl a roll blankets, she asks, "Who is that?"

"Uhh, Sophia Tír-Mòr, we rescued her in the woods… Well, Arthur did most of the rescuing."

"She can't stay here," Morgana states firmly with a hint of anxiety.

Merlin gives her a confused look, "Well, the king said that she and her father are welcome in Camelot." He takes in the Lady's appearance. She isn't wearing any type of jewelry, no adornments decorate her hair, in fact it hangs down and rather limp in loose curls, there are light shadows under her eyes, and slight fear within their sea green depths. "Is everything okay?" he asks with concern.

Feigning a smile, she answers, "Yes, thank you." She turns away and continues to her destination.

**...**

Slowly creaking open the door, Morgana steps into the chamber. She finds Gaius bent over a flask of something he's boiling.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you," she starts.

He turns to her. "Nonsense, my child, my favorite patient is always welcome." The elder man kisses her cheek, but her eyes are drawn to his bench. "I'm sorry about the mess. Most of it is Merlin's. If I'd known you were coming, I'd have tidied up in here."

She shakes her head. "Err… it's not that. It's just... your bench is on fire."

"My bench is on fire? What are you...?" Gaius turns and around and sees that the girl wasn't joking, "My bench is on fire!"

Morgana looks around and finds a bucket of water, "Here"

Using his tongs, the physician puts the enflamed flask into the water, extinguishing the fire. "You're always getting me into trouble." The young woman says nothing as she tentative draws closer. "What brings you to this dark corner?"

Hesitantly, she replies, "I- I had another dream."

"I see." A dark look passes over his features.

She continues. "I saw Arthur lying underwater, drowning, and there was a woman standing over him, watching him die. And she's here… in Camelot."

"The mind plays tricks. It borrows from everyday life and plays out its own fantasy."

"But I had this dream_ before_ she came to Camelot." The young woman shakes her head.

"You must be mistaken." He insists.

"No, I know what I saw." She says adamantly. "It was so _real_... so vivid. I saw him die, Gaius. She's going to kill him," Her fear coloring her tone.

In hopes of reassuring the young ward, the older man tells her, "These are just dreams, Morgana, nothing more. Are you taking the sleeping draught I made up for you?"

The Lady shakes her head, "No, it doesn't help."

"Here," He moves to grab a bottle from another table. "Try this. It will induce a deeper sleep." She doesn't look convinced, so he adds, "You've nothing to fear." Trying to accept his words she thanks Gaius and moves to leave, but he stops her just as she reaches the door. "Uh, Morgana, don't bother Uther about this. No need to worry him."

She nods and then leaves Gaius' chambers, hoping that what he said is true, but something tells her otherwise.

* * *

The next morning, Morgana is at her window again, the dream she had of Arthur drowning returned to her last night, despite the fact that she took the new draught from Gaius.

Today, she chooses to inform Gwen of what she had seen and its relation to the new guest in the castle. The both of them see Arthur and Sophia riding out of Camelot and this increases Morgana's fear.

"You're sure it's her?" Gwen asks.

Morgana nods, solemnly. "I could never forget that face."

"You should speak to the King." Her maid advises.

Her mistress turns to her. "And tell him what, that I can see the future?"

"If you think the prince's life is in danger-" she reasons.

The other woman interrupts, "You know how he'd react."

"You're his ward, he wouldn't harm you," she says firmly.

The Lady sighs. Her friend is too much of an idealist for her own good sometimes. "He hates magic more than he cares for me." She informs, equally as firm.

"That's not true." The dark-skinned girl shakes her head.

Lifting an elegant brow, "Would you care to put it to the test?"

Her heart drops a bit at the thought of the consequences that could ensue if she is wrong. "But what else can you do?"

Morgana is taken aback for a second; her thoughts hadn't gone that far. "I'm going to have to try and stop her myself."

Gwen can only nod somberly as they turn back to the window. It is times like this when Morgana wished for her cousin's presence. Not only to cool her anxiety over her nightmares, but ensure that Arthur didn't end up dead. As much as Estella cares for Morgana, she is equally as protective of Arthur… though not as blatantly.

* * *

Sophia rushes up the stairs and nearly runs into someone. "Sorry!" Looking up she sees a young woman before her. From the rumors spoken of her and the way the other woman is garbed in such fine silk and satin, one could only infer that she must be the king's ward. Smiling, "Lady Morgana, isn't it?" She extends her hand, "I'm Sophia."

Morgana stares accusingly and drily asks, "What are you doing here?"

Feigning innocence Sophia replies, "My father and I are guests of the king."

Scoffing, the other woman accuses, "You're lying." Sophia's eyes flicker, but she does not look worried. "I know what you're going to do to him, and I won't let it happen."

Seemingly shrugging off the allegation, Sophia asks, "Does Arthur know you feel this way about him?" From her lack of a quick reply, Sophia discerns that she's broached a delicate subject. "Oh, but of course he does. I suspect he's already turned you down."

"Don't think you can make a fool out of me." Morgana says shakily.

Sophia resumes her taunting. "I won't have to. You're managing to do that well enough already."

"_Stay away from him_." Morgana warns.

"Or what?" she challenges. "Jealousy is such an unattractive trait in a woman."

Morgana glares at Sophia. "If anything happens to Arthur, I'll find you. However long it takes." The flashing of amber in her sea green eyes makes Sophia stiffen, but it is unnoticed by Morgana as she regally continues on her way down the stairs.

Sophia watches her for a moment, her lips pursed in deep thought. She'd known of the ward's powers ever since she saw her that morning in the corridor. Morgana may fear her powers, but she is still a dangerous enemy (even more so than the Sidhe would ever know). Holding off her thoughts on the other woman she makes her way to her father.

* * *

"And, my Lady you must-"

"Alright!" the woman snaps at her attendants. Estella sighs exasperatedly at their shocked faces. "I'll have the meeting with the Duke of Mora tomorrow afternoon, the training with the knights will still commence even if it will rain, the plans for the festivities for the winter solstice will be finalized by the end of the week, and I want the gold satin with white diamond edging and embroidery of whatever colors you like. Have this gown done within a fortnight." The other women are still silent and unmoving. "Go on!" she commands, and they finally jump and do as they're ordered.

Really, it seems that Caerleon cannot function at all without her.

"Already storming up the castle, are we?" Estella rolls her eyes and turns around to face the person who's always been such a thorn in her side (and she senses that she will be more than that). Lady Elaine, her Uncle Agravaine's ward. "And you haven't been in Caerleon for long."

Another sigh emits from the duchess' lips. "For your information, Elaine, I've been home since the end of last month."

She giggles in that annoying fashion of her while dramatically tossing her auburn-blonde hair behind her back. "Funny, I did not know orphans had homes."

"Well, you're living in this castle, so I would assume they do." Estella sarcastically remarks to which the other woman stares angrily, ready to yell back that she is no orphan. "If you'll excuse me, I have more important matters to attend to."

But Elaine is not done, blocking her way, she asks, "How is that dearest cousin of yours, her head on a spike, yet? I've always said that Morgana's mouth would get her into trouble."

Estella's eyes are as hard as steel, but instead of lashing out, she chooses a different tactic. "Even so, her charming words can get her _out _of trouble. And at least _her _mouth is not always around a man's cock." It is no secret that Elaine is not only the haughtiest, but also the most promiscuous of women. The only that saves her reputation in the court is her being Agravaine's ward, otherwise she'd be reduced to a whore on the streets… Not that she cared for that matter.

And her pride in her sexual prowess shows. Grinning arrogantly, and Estella flinches at the recognition, she accuses, "Envious of my superior abilities in the bed chamber?"

"Envious? You mean of all the diseases you must have acquired from the scores of men you've bedded in less than sensible conditions, no why would anyone be?" The duchess pushes past the other.

"Do you ever fear for Morgana?" Estella balks and Elaine continues, "Because if you do not learn to show me some respect, something may happen to her."

Looking over her shoulder, "What respect should I give to someone who threatens my family?" Pursing her lips she states, "Besides your old age cannot tell the difference."

Her uncle's ward shrieks in outrage. "I am not even four years your senior you _wench_-"

"And yet you have not gained any wisdom with your years." Estella intercedes. "Your public affairs, countless liaisons, the simple standing as the Lord of Caerleon's ward make you of a lower station than I."

Elaine sneers. "Well, _Duchess_, don't think that you can use something as petty as a title to scare me."

"No," she agrees, "I know think that my titles don't frighten you." The slight smile fades from her fair face. "But the magic within my veins does because it greatly surpasses yours and if you cross me again or bring any harm to Morgana, you will see just how much you have to fear." Her moonlight eyes gleam amber for a moment and then she leaves Elaine alone in the hall.

The very ground still seems to shake long after her departure.

* * *

Morgana leans herself on one of Arthur's chairs as she listens to the prince ramble on about how wonderful Sophia is.

"You seem quite fond of her." She comments an edge coloring her tone.

"You make that sound like a bad thing." He says back.

"Not necessarily. I've just… Never seen you fall under a woman's spell so quickly."

Shrugging off his jacket while smirking, "If you're jealous, Morgana, it's okay to admit it."

"Don't flatter yourself." She immediately retorts.

"Come on." He goads, "It wouldn't be the first time now, would it?"

Morgana moves closer, pleading for him to stop his teasing. "Arthur, I'm trying to protect you! She isn't what she seems."

"Why? What makes you say that?" The prince asks.

She bristles. It's not like when they were young anymore, when they could tell each other anything when asked. "I just have a feeling." Choosing her words carefully and slightly praying that Arthur would understand, "It's difficult to describe. I had a dream, a nightmare."

The unexpected happens, where he is supposed to soften and listen (like he always has before even after they grew apart), he laugh – and in the most patronizing way. "You really are very sweet, Morgana."

"_Why are you laughing_?" She nearly snarls with her eyes wide.

"You! Your feelings, bad dreams," he answers. "You don't have to make this stuff up." Arthur's looking at her now with what can only being described as pity, pity that one bestowed upon someone with unrequited love. "You can tell me the truth. It's obvious you like me."

Meeting his eyes with a hard stare she declares, "Less and less by the second."

"All right, whatever you say." He smirks into his cup of wine.

"You're _intolerable_." Morgana has a tremendous urge to slap him, but something – something unidentifiable is holding her back. "Just hope I'm wrong about her." And with that, Morgana leaves in a flurry of silk and satin.

* * *

Arthur stands impatiently, waiting for his father to look from the papers he is reading. "I request this audience, Father, to discuss a matter of great importance." Uther then looks up with a furrowed brow at his son's uncharacteristic, commanding tone. "It cannot have escaped your attention that I and Lady Sophia Tír-Mòr have grown very close."

With an amused tone, the king responses, "Not too close, I hope."

"We're in love," Arthur states. Uther and Morgana exchange a look as the prince continues, "Which is why I come before you today to ask your permission to marry."

Morgana is worried; she knows that something is not right. Uther, however, does not notice and simply begins to laugh heartily, "I assume you're joking."

Arthur looks highly offended. "_No_, I'm going to marry her."

"But you only met two days ago." Uther promptly reminds.

"_We're in love_," he emphasizes.

"In love?" he repeats. "We had no idea that you were such a romantic had we, Morgana?" The king glances at his ward.

She tries to catch Arthur's eye, but his gaze is focused on his father, "No… He's full of surprises."

"I'm going to marry her. I don't care what either of you think about it." The prince declares defiantly.

Uther is no longer amused. His jaw twitches, "I thought you'd come to ask my permission?"

"Out of courtesy, nothing more," Arthur then turns, takes Sophia's hand, and they walk toward the door.

"Guards, door," Orders the king. The guards block off Arthur and Sophia from leaving and Uther rises from his throne. "You've forgotten whose court you're standing in."

Arthur continues to fight against his father, until the threats on Sophia's life were set and so he reluctantly bows his head and Uther has Sophia and her father released, an action that makes Morgana's fear rekindle. "You've got your whole life ahead of you. Sophia is no doubt your first love," Morgana cannot help but wince at that, "but she certainly won't be the _only_ one. Enjoy yourself while you can."

**...**

Morgana follows Uther as he leaves the Council Chamber. She tries in vain to convince the king of Sophia's danger to Arthur, but he has never really been a man to look past the surface of this kind of situation.

Seeing that the king is growing impatient of her indistinct statements, she considers telling him the truth, "I-I don't know how to tell you this."

Stopping, he faces her, "Try. Whatever it is, you can tell me." Uther looks at her expectantly as he waits.

Even with his somewhat fatherly expression, Morgana cannot bring herself to reveal her dreams, remembering Gaius' warning against this. "I've just seen girls like this before." She tells him. "They string men along and then drop them. I don't want to see him get hurt."

Putting his hand on her shoulder, "I know you want to protect him, but some lessons we have to learn for ourselves. He'll hurt for a week and then Sophia will be forgotten."

She attempts to smile, "I hope so."

Uther leaves Morgana looking desperate and afraid for Arthur's life.

* * *

Merlin rushes through the forest as fast as he can, adrenaline and anxiety running in veins, spurring him to move faster. A loose root in the ground trips him and he sprawls to the forest floor.

As soon as he fell, he is hauled onto his feet again. Looking up he sees two women on either side of him. One is the familiar face of the king's ward, the other is a woman, older than Morgana, but with similar features.

"Lady Morgana," he huffs, "What are you-?"

The foreign woman intercedes, "There's no time to explain, come." And the three of them take off towards the Lake of Avalon.

**...**

When they reach the lake, Sophia is standing in the water and Aulfric is casting the spell to sacrifice Arthur. Said prince is nowhere in sight.

Merlin panics, knowing what he must do save his master, but with the presence of Uther's ward so close, is it safe to use his magic?

The unknown woman who helped him suddenly raises her hand toward Aulfric, _"Swelt goldbeorth."_ A bolt of light hits the Sidhe and he explodes.

The warlock glances at Morgana, who looks more distressed at the water than the use of sorcery in front of her.

"Father, no, no!" Sophia yells as she wades her way to the shore.

Morgana, momentarily broken from her distraught trance, glares deathly at Sophia. Pulling out the dagger on her belt, she throws it and it strikes its target, Sophia's heart. She gasps, putting her hand to her chest.

The other woman now aims for Sophia, _"__Og kelis!__" _And her father's fate falls upon Sophia.

Merlin then pulls off his jacket and runs into the lake. Morgana moves to follow him, but she is held back. "Never fear, Merlin will save him."

It seems almost an eternity until Merlin breaks the surface of the water with Arthur. Morgana breaths a heavy sigh of relief. "Morgana," She turns to look into the familiar emerald green eyes that promptly glow ember. Her mind becomes clouded and she is sinking.

Merlin makes it to the shore with Arthur. Trying to catch his breath, he looks to the women. The stranger is holding an unconscious Morgana as a mother cradles a sleeping infant.

"What did you do?" he demands.

She looks up, her eyes full of maternal affection. "Nothing of consequence." The young boy is not sure how to respond to that. "Take care of the prince, young warlock; I will get Morgana back to the castle."

Merlin begins to sputter something and the woman raises a brow, patiently waiting. "Err, uh, who are you?"

She smiles warmly. "Vivienne, an old acquaintance of Gaius." Looking back down at Morgana, Vivienne whispers, _"__Bedyrene us! Astyre us thanonweard.__"_ Then she and Morgana disappear from the forest.

**...**

Vivienne gently lays Morgana on her bed and pulls the silk sheets over her slim form. Sadness and guilt grips the Lady Le Fay's heart. She was rarely there while Morgana was growing, so she hardly ever got to rock her child to sleep, tuck her in at night, sing her to sleep. An experience she wanted with both daughters, but only gave to one.

Her beautiful child, she remembers the day Morgana was born and how she seemed to be the exact image of her and her twin, while the other daughter, Morgause, however, resembled her grandmother, Vera.

Gorlois hadn't begrudged the lack of physical likeness his daughters had to him nor was he upset or even angered by the lack of a male heir. He loved his daughters and his wife, he would have done anything to protect them.

He almost did. When Uther began his Great Purge, Gorlois had the mind to stand up against his best friend because of the knowledge of magic being present in his family. However, the twin Le Fays advised him against that course of action and convinced him to simply grin and bear what he must for the safety of his daughters.

The older twin feels the presence of her younger sibling and she turns to face her, "Valeria," she addresses with a hushed voice.

"The Sidhe wouldn't have accepted his soul," the younger Le Fay states.

Vivienne nods, "I know, but I suppose all the Sidhe will try to do whatever it takes for their control over their fates."

"Surely the Sidhe Elders know better," Valeria asserts.

"Not all of them," The eldest Le Fay says, "Do not forget the matter of Godwyn's daughter."

Valeria scoffs, "How could I?" Her gaze glances over her young niece and then to her sister. "Come, we must go."

Vivienne nods.

* * *

"When you failed to show up for patrol this morning, I feared you'd eloped with Sophia in a fit of passion." Arthur nods solemnly at his father's words and turns to Merlin, causing the king to do the same.

The manservant starts stuttering about being an idiot and mistakes, but Morgana isn't paying attention. She's observing the prince. Where the last time he was in court, he stood relaxed and carefree. Now, he stands straight and serious, his princely stance as he would call it.

Tired everyone dancing over words, the king requests, "Could somebody tell me what happened?"

"Well-" Merlin starts.

"Someone with a brain," The elder man clarifies.

Arthur then speaks up, "After Sophia left, I wanted to take my mind off her," Morgana's brow furrows at the prince's blatant lie "So I went for a hunt."

"And killing things mends a broken heart?" she skeptically inquires.

Arthur's jaw twitches as he curses Morgana's perceptiveness. "No, but it's good fun." Returning his attention to his father. "Merlin was meant to inform you that I wouldn't be back till later today."

The king looks suspicious at said servant. "Have you some kind of mental affliction?" He asks slowly.

"Probably," he mutters.

"I'm looking into it, Sire." Gaius assures.

"Well, I hope for our sake you find a cure. Or we'll find ourselves with a food shortage on our hands." And once again, Merlin ends up in the stocks.

When the Council is dismissed, the prince heads back to his chambers, but to his dismay his father's ward follows him.

"What is it, Morgana?" he snaps.

Her mouth is set in a thin line. "No, need to speak to me as though I am a thorn in your side, Arthur. I only wanted to know when you are going to be ready to tell the truth."

"What truth?" he immediately throws back.

They reach the doors to his chambers and she blocks his way. "Of what happened with Sophia." Arthur opens his mouth, but she cuts him off, "I can tell when you are lying, so do not even try."

He sighs, "_Fine_, but can we…" gesturing towards his chambers, Morgana obliges, steps aside, and follows him into the room, shutting the doors behind her.

Instead of pushing him to speak, she waits and he is thankful for that. Slowly he begins with what he knows, "When my father refused to let Sophia and I marry, I decided to elope with her. Merlin tried to stop me, but… I was, as he says, 'beyond reason,' so he knocked me out in order to bring me back to Camelot." Now, he waits, waits for her to laugh and gloat. But she does not.

Looking up, he sees that Morgana has a thoughtful expression on her face. "You don't really remember what happened, do you?"

Arthur shakes his head, "Not really, it is all muddled." He laughs rather bitterly. "I guess I must have some sort of affliction."

"Then, I must, too." He's not sure what she means, she herself, is not sure, either (yet). "I won't tell your father," She adds.

The prince nods his head. Suddenly, he blurts, "I'm sorry."

Morgana's forehead knits. "What exactly for?"

Another sigh. He struggles with what to say, for the past few hours, he had been struggling to recall the last few days when Sophia was in the castle. Mostly he remembers, a young woman with the face of a porcelain doll, golden brown hair, and hazel eyes – really, nothing very striking or extremely memorable about her at all. But one memory, though, stood out from the haze of images.

"For being so patronizing, when you tried to warn me about Sophia." She visibly flinches. "I know that you were worried, it was not chivalrous of me to be condescending."

Her lip quirks. "When have you ever been chivalrous?" He gives her a dry. She chuckles softly. "It's alright, I forgive you."

The Lady moves to leave his chambers, but the prince stops her. "So, that means you _do _like me, then."

Morgana whorls around to see his cheeky grin. Instead of a taunting remark, she decides to humor him. "More and more than before." The smile fades and he stares at her in surprise. Morgana glides out of his chambers before he can respond.

* * *

Morgana knocks on the door to Gaius' chambers and enters. "I've had some troubled nights." She informs the physician.

"I prepared another draught for you." The elder man turns to a table behind him. "Have the dreams stopped?"

Shaking her head, she says, "Arthur told me what actually happened." Addressing Merlin, "You must've hit him round the head really hard."

"Yeah. I feel really bad about that." The young boy tries to distinguish if Morgana remembered anything of the lake. He was never good at reading people, so he is left unsure.

"Here you are." His guardian hands the Lady a vial. "Remember, every night just before you go to sleep."

"Thank you, Gaius." And Morgana leaves.

Merlin looks toward his guardian. "Do you think she remembers, what happened at the lake?"

The old man exhales. "I'm not sure. But what I do know is this," He turns to his ward, "She must never find out the truth of her dreams."

The boy is confused. "Why not? She had a premonition that helped save Arthur's life."

"And it could've cost her own. If Uther ever found out, things would never be the same again. It must remain a secret." Gaius emphasizes adamantly.

"Is she like me? Can she use magic?" Merlin questions and Gaius pauses contemplating how much he should reveal. Before the older man responds, his ward speaks again. "And you are supposed to tell me who Vivienne is." Gaius exhales. "Please tell me the truth."

"You must swear," he looks Merlin in the eyes. "Never to tell _anyone_ what I am about to reveal." The boy nods his head. "Vivienne is a witch, from a line of one the most powerful magical families in history, the Le Fays."

Not understanding, Merlin asks, "Why is this so confidential?"

"I'm sure you noticed the resemblance Morgana has to Vivienne."

He nods and then a thought comes to the young warlock, "They're related."

Gaius nods, "Morgana is Vivienne's daughter."

"So, she _does_ have magic." He also realizes something else, "And Estella does too, doesn't she?"

"There is no woman of the Le Fay family who doesn't have some sort of magic," the elder man says.

"But, Morgana doesn't know about it, does she? She-"

The physician interrupts. "Merlin, stay out of it. However and whenever her magic manifests itself, her family will handle it. The Le Fays do not take kindly to anyone who meddle." The boy looks down at the table. "Heed my warning, Merlin. Do not cross any who is a Le Fay. Grave consequences come to those who do."

Merlin bows his head, "Yes, Gaius."

Hearing a noise outside his window, the physician gets up to check. Outside, in the shade of the trees, he sees two women. When the wind blows, their figures fade and disappear, as if they were not even there.

* * *

**Author's Note: Thanks for reading and please review.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: Thanks again to lovely Azar443 for being such a wonderful FF confidante and twin! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin or any quotes you may recognize that are not from Merlin.**

* * *

The Beginning of the End

Morgana stands at her table reading Estella's most recent letter. Gwen is finishing up straightening her mistress's bed. After finishing the task, she goes to pour Morgana a goblet of wine.

"How is the Lady Estella?" the maid inquires.

The Lady chuckles lightly, "Oh, very well she says. Although, some events in Caerleon sparked up some old memories. You remember the time we all decided to dance in the rain that one summer night nine years ago?"

"I do," Gwen says fondly.

Morgana giggles, "While evading the guards, we learned that day that it _is_ possible to trip _up _stairs. Poor Estella nearly broke her nose and she damned the existence of stairs!"

The two women start to laugh freely while reminiscing their younger years, until Merlin unceremoniously bursts into her chambers.

"Merlin?" the maid questions

"Have you forgotten how to knock?" the Lady adds incredulously.

"The guards are after him," The servant quickly explains, gesturing to the young boy next to him, "I didn't know what to do."

A feeling of recognition runs through Morgana as she studies the boy's youthful face: pale skin, dark hair, wide sky blue eyes like- "My Lady, My Lady?" the guards knock roughly upon her door while calling for her.

"Eh, in there," she directs them to the curtain, whilst moving to the door, Gwen right behind her. After she sees that Merlin and the boy are hidden, she opens the door.

"I'm sorry to disturb you, my Lady." The guard says, "We're searching for a young Druid boy. We believe he came this way."

"I haven't seen anyone." The ward calmly informs him, "It's just me and my maid."

"Best keep the door locked till we find him," he precautions.

Flashing a slight smile she obliges, "Of course, thank you."

After hastily closing the door, Morgana runs to the curtain to check on the boy. Merlin removes his hand from the boy's arm to find blood smearing his palm and fingers.

* * *

Arthur rests his palms on the table as he attempts to dissuade his father from taking on the hunt, "The Druid was only in Camelot to collect supplies. He meant no harm. Is it necessary to track him down and execute him?"

"Absolutely necessary, those who use magic cannot be tolerated." the king answers promptly.

"The Druids are a peaceful people," Arthur notes.

"Given the chance, they would return magic to the kingdom." The prince looks at his father with doubt, but the older man does not notice. "They preach peace, but conspire against me. We cannot appear weak."

The younger man straightens up. "Showing mercy can be a sign of strength."

Uther turns to his son. "Our enemies will not see it that way. We have a responsibility to protect this kingdom. When we find the Druid, executing him will send out a clear message. Find the boy. Search every inch of the city."

* * *

Cerdan looks around him, his brows knitted and hands poised, ready to strike at the first sign of danger. The last thing he remembers is being surrounded by guards and then his vision blurred and he felt himself leave the ground, as if a griffin had taken and dropped him in this forest.

"Peace, Cerdan, you need not fear."

Turning around, the Druid comes face to face with Valeria. Bowing in deference to the witch he says, "Lady Le Fay, was this your doing?"

Lifting her chin she answers, "Of course."

He straightens up and nods in thanks. "Thank you, then, for saving my life."

"It is only our duty Cerdan," craning her neck toward the direction of Caerleon, "Had my daughter been here she would have aided you."

"So the rumors are true?" he presses.

Valeria nods and beckons for him to follow her. "Indeed they are. My sister and I, with the help of Estella, have been smuggling sorcerers from Camelot for years, now. You should consider yourself fortunate, we are not always so lucky to save every one of them."

The Druid nods and the two continue to walk in silence, until they reach edge of the Druid camp. Turning to each other, Cerdan speaks once more, "Again, my Lady, you have my gratitude."

She offers him a soft smile. "And you have mine and my family's. You have completed the charge I placed upon you, now it up to my niece, the young Pendragon, and Emrys." Retreating back the way she came, Valeria Le Fay bid the Druid farewell.

* * *

Mordred lays on the cushions and blankets that Morgana and Gwen wrapped him in. They had removed his torn shirt and bound his bleeding arm. Morgana keeps constant watch over, tenderly making sure that he is comfortable and softly asking him questions, but Mordred does not speak, fearing that he may release all the knowledge that Morgana is, for now, ignorant to.

The pain in his arm dulls and the boy closes his eyes, drifting to sleep. It is a bit later when he hears the door softly creak open.

"Has he said anything at all?" He hears Emrys asks.

Morgana shakes her head. "Nothing, he won't even tell me his name."

Merlin leans against the wall, never had he thought that he would be this close to Morgana. "You know," he starts, "Err, for a moment there earlier, I- I thought you were going to hand us over to the guards."

She nearly scoffs. "I'm glad you have so much faith in me, Merlin."

Realizing his misstep he begins to elaborate. "No, no, sorry, em, I meant, you're the king's ward. You're taking a huge risk helping the boy."

"I wouldn't see an innocent child executed." She explains. "What harm has he ever done anyone?"

"Uther believes he has magic, and that makes him guilty." Merlin says glumly.

"Uther's wrong." Morgana voices with vehemence.

Merlin looks up at her. "You believe that?" He is aware that Morgana has magic, but to his knowledge, Morgana, herself, did not know… Or did she?

"What if magic isn't something you choose? What if it chooses you?" And Merlin is struck by her again. He realizes that even if she didn't possess the gift, she would defend those who did. Without knowing it, he gives her a rather dreamy look. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Merlin jumps, not only at her catching him, but at the sharp sting in his skull. Glancing sideways at the motionless boy (who wasn't at all pleased with the warlock's fancy for Morgana), he mutters, "Nothing."

Then a thought comes to Morgana. "Why are you helping him?"

The warlock is caught off guard, for he doesn't really know the answer. "It was a spur of the moment decision." And Morgana back at the boy, silently berating men for their embarrassment over knowing how to care. "What do you think we should do with him? He can't stay here."

"We have to find a way to get him back to his people." She answers.

* * *

At dinner that night, Morgana sits across from her guardian, studiously refusing to make conversation. He is oblivious to her inner conflict, but he when catches a troubled expression on her face, his concern is brushed away by her charming reassurance. She is almost thankful when Arthur enters the chamber.

"What news of the hunt for the Druid and the boy?" the king inquires.

Arthur puts his elbows on the back of a chair. "We have conducted an extensive search. They are nowhere to be found."

Uther leans back and sternly looks at his son. "You mean you failed to find them?"

"The guards say that the man disappeared right before their eyes. You can't expect us to find someone who simply vanishes into thin air."

The older man begrudgingly nods and huffs, "But the boy, he was last seen in the main square."

"Perhaps, he's already left the city." The younger man suggests.

The king snorts, "You're telling me that a wounded boy is able to evade the guards and escape the city? Nonsense, someone's hiding him. I want him found."

Arthur nearly sighs in frustration. "He's just a boy. What harm can he do?"

"He is a Druid, and that makes him dangerous." Uther emphasizes with restrained malice.

Secretly saving Arthur from the king's rage, Morgana states, "The Druids would see your father's kingdom destroyed."

The prince turns to her with a critical eye, "I had no idea you were such an authority on Druids."

"Morgana is right." After taking a drink, he commands, "Double your efforts."

"Yes, Father."

Uther adds, "The man be left, unless he returns to the city, but keep searching until you find the boy." And Morgana's heart clenches at the thought of what could happen to the boy hidden in her chambers.

* * *

Mordred now is not feigning sleep. He's in a slightly unconscious state, hearing most of the sounds around him, but not able to respond. The wound is getting worse and the boy longs for his mother's touch and care, she has a gift in the arts of healing.

Footsteps and then knocking at the door interrupt Emrys and Morgana's conversation. The Lady quickly closes the curtain and goes to the door. Merlin peeks through to see who the visitor is.

"Arthur, to what do I owe this pleasure?" Morgana asks with mock distain.

"Don't get all excited." The prince replies just as mockingly, "It's not a social call. I'm looking for the Druid boy. I'm afraid I'm going to have to search your chambers."

Panic runs through her mind, but her face remains blank. "You're _not _searching my chambers."

"Don't take it personally. I have to search the entire castle." He moves toward her wardrobe. "Only take a few minutes," he adds.

Morgana worriedly glances at the drawn curtains behind her screen. "I'm not having you mess up my things."

"I'm not interested in your things," he states as he sifts through her numerous gowns, "I'm just looking for any evidence that the Druid boy's in the castle."

"Perhaps the Druid boy's hiding in your chambers." She suggests and patronizingly puts in, "They're usually such a mess, you'd never know."

Arthur rolls his eyes, "It's hardly my fault I have such a lazy idiot for a servant."

The woman scoffs, "If you can't even find your own servant, what hope do you have of finding the boy?"

Completely accustomed to her derision, he answers in stride, "Really, I'm touched by the confidence you have in my abilities. And, as much as I'd love to stay and talk, the sooner we get started, the sooner we'll be finished."

She nearly huffs in frustration. "Well, I'll save you the trouble."

"Trust me, if I could find him, I would." He turns when he hears the click of her heels.

"The Druid boy's hiding behind the screen," She states. Arthur glances toward the screen, but before he could look behind it, Morgana saunters over to him. "I'm sure your father would _love _to know how you _wasted_ your time by rifling through my things… Go on."

Lifting a brow, he challenges, "So you can have the satisfaction of making me look a fool?"

"Oh, please, in my experience, you don't need any help looking like a fool." Arthur balks and hangs his head, _'Why did she have to better at this.'_ Sensing his drawback, she grins, "What are you waiting for? Take a look."

Fed up with taunts, "Why don't _you_ go back to- brushing your hair or whatever it is that you do all day?"

"Bye, Arthur. Good luck with the search!" And he leaves with soft slamming of her door.

From behind the curtains, Merlin sighs in relief. Unbeknownst to him, the young boy next to him, despite his weakened state, is silently laughing at the exchange between the prince and the ward.

* * *

Mordred feels himself getting worse. In his mind, he is screaming for home, screaming yearningly for his friends, his siblings, his mother, his father, his family.

The boy's beginning to come back into consciousness when he feels something cool being spread on his wound.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" He hears Morgana ask.

"I'm doing my best," Merlin assures softly.

In his mind, the warlock hears a weak voice say, _"Thank you, Emrys."_

Responding telepathically, he inquires, _"Emrys, why do you call me that?"_

"_Among the Druids and others who possess magic, that is your name."_ the boy explains.

"_You know who I am, how?" _Merlin looks down at the younger boy intently.

Mordred does not respond for fear that he may have revealed too much already.

"Speak to me," the older boy nearly begs out loud.

Coming up behind him, Morgana says, "I don't know if he can't speak, or... if he's just too scared to."

Resigning to the boy's silence, Merlin binds the wound again and leaves him under the Lady's watchful eye.

* * *

The next day, Mordred feels his health deteriorating even more. He regrets ever coming here. Regrets trying to change fate when his mother vehemently fought against his decision to do this, but her beloved cousin, the cool reasoning to her warm affection, insisted on this, prophesied this. Stating that Mordred's aunt would stop at nothing to bring his family harm. His thoughts are interrupted, as his eye is pulled open by someone. Through the haze of his clouded vision, he deciphers an elder face, white hair, and a stern brow, _'Gaius?'_

The physician examines the boy carefully. Something about him seemed familiar to the elder man, but couldn't quite place it. Turning to the three young people, he says, "I will treat the boy, but as soon as he's well, you must get him out of Camelot. And woe betide anyone caught helping him."

Morgana, Gwen, and Merlin leave Gaius to tend to the boy's healing.

* * *

Morgana searches through the drawers in Arthur's chambers. There's no sign of the keys that she needs and she curses, knowing that if they are not in his drawers then they are with him. Quickly putting things back in order (or as 'orderly' as they were), she leaves his chambers and walks down the corridor, only to run right into the prince when rounding the corner to the stairs.

The prince catches the both of them. Holding Morgana by her shoulders he asks, "Where are you in a rush to?"

Glancing at his belt, she sees the keys, but looking back at his face she answers, "Nowhere."

He looks back her dubiously, "Hmm, _right_."

While discreetly moving her hand to the retrieve the keys, she narrows her eyes at his tone, "What are getting at?"

The prince shakes his head, "I didn't say anything."

She unhooks the keys and he thankfully doesn't notice while scrutinizing her expression. "Then if you would release my shoulders, I would like to return to my chambers."

Realizing that he still had a hold on her, Arthur drops his hands and she slips the keys into her sleeve. She moves to go up the stairs, but he stop, "Are you sure you're alright?"

Taken aback by the sudden concern, she balks on the first step. Without turning around she answers, "I'm fine," and escapes up the stairs before he can question her further.

* * *

Mordred feels his health returning to him as day turns into night. He's heard Morgana whisper with Gaius, Gwen, and Merlin, but he's not sure what they are talking about. When he feels himself strong enough, he sits up and leans against the wall.

Morgana then comes to kneel in front of him. She's not wearing the fine silks and satins that make up her gowns, but rather trousers, tunic, and a midnight cloak. Smiling she tells him, "We're going to get you out of Camelot. I won't let anything bad happen to you. I promise."

Mordred, feeling hope that he long thought was lost, couldn't help but smile back at his the woman. She helps him up and ties his cloak around his shoulders, taking as punctilious care as his mother would. Thinking of his mother, his heart lightens, he would see her again and his father.

**...**

Morgana curses this turn of events. The guard advances towards her and she pulls Mordred to her chest and backs away. Then she feels the tip of a sword on her back and she stops and stiffens.

"Halt or I'll run you through," Arthur threatens. "Show yourself."

Slowly, the ward turns around. When he sees her face, the prince is shocked. His jaw clenches as he understands now why she's been acting strangely.

Looking at him with those sea green eyes of her she pleads, "Let him go. Please, he's only a child."

Arthur glances down at the boy and then looks around, but sees that they are surrounded by guards. He can't let them go now. Steeling himself, he commands, "Restrain them."

Morgana is taken and confined in her chambers and the boy is thrown into the dungeons.

* * *

In the morning, Morgana is taken to the council chambers to face the king. He stands next to his chair, barely controlled rage reigned in as his ward stares defiantly at him. His son is off to his left, standing silently with eyes trained on the floor.

After what seems like hours of heavy silence, Uther breaks it with, "All this time, you've been hiding the boy in my own palace. How could you betray me like this?"

Morgana holds no shame in her actions. "I did what I thought was right."

"You think it is right to conspire with my enemies against me?" he accuses.

"How can this child be your enemy?" She throws back, "He's just a boy."

"He is a Druid," Uther states as if that justifies everything.

Morgana retorts, "Is that such a crime?"

Leaning toward her, he emphasizes, "His kind would see me _dead_ and this kingdom returned to anarchy and _you_ would help them."

Taking a step she boldly says, "Then punish me" Arthur tenses even more at that, "But spare the boy." Her eyes are still hard, but her tone softens, "I beg you."

Turning away from the young woman, Uther looks to his son, "Make arrangements for the boy to be executed tomorrow morning."

"No! Please, he's done nothing," she pleads.

The king hisses, "Let this be a lesson to you."

"You don't have to do this." Morgana pronounces softly and Arthur looks on the scene with pity. No matter what the ward did, she could never persuade the king against his decisions. Not even he as the prince could do, but there is only one who had such influence on the king, but unfortunately, that person is not in Camelot.

"Do you hear me? I want him executed at dawn."

Snapping out of his thoughts, Arthur dutifully answers, "Yes, Father."

As the king walks away, Morgana marches toward him, "What have these people done to you? Why are you so full of hate?" She grabs for his arm and his restraint is broken as he whorls around, grasps her throat and presses her to the back of the chair.

Arthur stiffens. Any other who grabbed Morgana in such a way met the edge of his sword, but this is his father, the king, to react in his usual way would be treason. And yet the way the king clutched at his ward's throat seemed just as bad a crime.

"Enough! I will not hear another word! Do not speak to me until you are ready to apologize for what you've done." Releasing his hold on her, Uther leaves the council chambers.

Arthur moves to follow him, but when gets close to Morgana, he sees her slightly quivering form and hears her labored breaths.

Cautiously, he puts his hand on her shoulder causing her to jump. She looks into his eyes, those pleading sea green eyes from last night returning. They hold each other's gazes, but after a moment passes, he drops his hand and goes to catch up with his father.

* * *

After his unsuccessful talk with his father about Morgana's case, the prince retreats to his chambers, only to find that the aforementioned woman is sitting in a chair waiting for him.

"Make yourself at home," he says drily while shutting his doors.

"You _can't _let your father execute the boy," she states.

Turning around, he nearly releases all his anger and frustration at her. "You're lucky he's not executing _you_. Are you telling me he really was behind the screen when I came to search your chambers?"

Morgana nods and Arthur looks off in frustration at his stupidity. "I _know_ you believe your father's wrong to execute him."

The prince sighs as he takes off his sword belt. "What I believe doesn't matter. My father's made up his mind. He won't be talked out of it. I tried."

Shooting up from the chair, she proclaims, "Then the time for talking is over."

He picks up a goblet of wine and goes to the window. "Whatever you're thinking, it's not going to happen." (He can't even remember how many times he's said this to her).

"We _have_ to get the boy back to his people," she tells him.

"_No_. Forget it." (Or this either).

Through slightly clenched teeth, the Lady seethes, "I can't believe you'd let an innocent child die!"

"It's too _late_. He's been caught." He adds in a lowered tone, "I have no choice."

"And is _this_ how you will rule when you are king?" Her tone also lowering, "You're _not_ like your father."

Even so he can't go against his father, "I will not betray him."

"If I know you at all, you won't stand by and let this happen." The prince turns from her. "_Please_," the woman inches closer to him. "If you won't do this for the boy… then do it for me."

He sighs, but not in frustrated way. In a way that tells her that he will do as she says. But what she doesn't know is that he'd only do it for _her_, only because it's _her_.

**...**

They've just about devised a reasonable enough plan. Battles and tactics are more Arthur's suit, though. Morgana, herself, is rather good at them as well, but when it came to something such as this – an escape plan – it is their cousin they usually turn to. Estella has always been the brilliant and meticulous one, able to find just about every flaw in a plan and always able to prevent it. Unfortunately for them, she isn't there to help them.

The door suddenly creaks and Merlin pokes his head in. Morgana insists that he can be trusted and so they tell him of their plan. Surprisingly, the servant catches a fault. Regrettably for him, he gets himself more involved than is to take Morgana's place in the plans as she dines with Uther to keep herself safe. Of course Arthur suggests this; he would not see her hurt by his father again.

* * *

Mordred sits and stares dishearteningly into space. Again, his hope is shattered. His sadness and fear clench at his heart, but he refuses to shed any tears. His father always told him that in times of despondency, men do not cry, they stand tall and proud and that is what he planned to do.

Suddenly, the door of his cell is unlocked and the prince strides in. "Don't be scared. I've sent word to your people; I'm taking you to them." Holding out his hand, "You must come with me."

Mordred looks up with wide eyes, but takes Arthur's hand and allows the prince to lead him out. They head down a tunnel, the older man is constantly looking back to be certain that they are not followed. The two of them reach the gate at the end of the tunnel.

Arthur puts down the torch and whispers for his servant, "Merlin, Merlin!" The boy looks up at him, but assuredly says, "Don't worry, he'll be here."

**...**

The warning bells begin to sound and Arthur grips at the bars, trying with all his strength to break them. He pushes against the gate in his frustration. "Damn it, Merlin!"

Distantly, they hear a door open at the other end of the tunnel and guards moving in. Arthur puts out the torch and starts looking around for another possible escape. Finding none the prince draws his sword, ready to fight his own soldiers for the boy.

A small part of his mind berates him for such loyalty to the boy, a boy who has magic, a boy he doesn't even know. But then he recognizes that this must be what Morgana felt, this feeling that makes him want (need) to protect the child at any cost.

Mordred, in desperation, projects his thoughts to Merlin, _"I'm scared, Emrys. They will kill me. Don't do this. Don't ignore me. I know you can hear me. I thought you were my friend. We're the same. I don't want to die. Emrys, Emrys, Emrys!"_

"Hey!" Arthur and Mordred turn around to see Merlin on the other side of the gate.

"Where the _hell_ have _you_ been?" The prince seethes.

"I had trouble getting out of the castle," He lies. Mordred knowing this narrows his eyes at Merlin.

The warlock attaches the grappling hook and pulls off the grate. Picking him up, Arthur sets the boy on his horse and then climbs on behind him.

Turning back to his servant he instructs, "If my father asks where I am, I've gone on a hunting trip. You'd better make yourself scarce, or they'll execute you in his place."

Merlin nods and takes one last look at the boy. _"Goodbye, Emrys. Please remember that the dragon is wrong about me."_

* * *

Arthur watches as the young boy is led away by the Druids, but then he remembers something.

"Wait, I don't even know your name!" They turn to look at the prince. "At least tell me your name." he insists.

Mordred bristles slightly and looks into the emerald eyes of the Lady Le Fay.

She smiles down at her kinsman, "It's all right."

Looking at Arthur, the boy uses his voice, "My name is Mordred."

The name stirs something in the prince that he can't quite explain, like his need to protect the boy when they were in Camelot. Nodding his head, he says, "Good luck, Mordred."

And with that, the Druids disappear into the trees and Arthur returns to Camelot.

**...**

The Druids return to their camp, but Vivienne, Valeria, and Mordred linger go past it, walking to where the river laid beside an archway of trees.

Vivienne smiles down at the boy. "So, you had quite an adventure young Mordred."

"Yes, my Lady," he answers courteously.

Valeria laughs softly, "So well-mannered," she muses, causing Mordred to blush slightly.

The elder twin swats her sister's shoulder. "Oh, leave him alone, Valeria, he cannot help who he is."

Her sibling nods, "Indeed." Seeing the boy's apprehensive posture, she asks, "What's wrong young one?"

Looking between the two women he voices what is wearing down on his mind, "Do you think that I did anything to help?"

And then he sees them wearing identical smiles, but it is Vivienne that kneels in front of him and gently places her hands his shoulders. "Even the smallest person can change the course of the future." His recognition of the words brings a smile to his face. "Go on," she goads while gesturing to the archway, "Go back home."

The boy doesn't hesitate. He sprints under the arch of trees, feeling all the magical energies flourish around him. His heart practically leaping in his chest as he sees a clearing in the trees and a whole procession of people waiting for him, but he's only looking at two people: his parents.

Bounding straight for them, he collides with his father's chest and feels his mother's fingers running lovingly through his hair. "Mordred," they say in their usual identical fashion and he beams at them, "Welcome home."

* * *

**Author's Note: Thanks for reading and please review. If there's anything that you'd like to see in future chapters, let me know, I'll try to put it in. **


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note: Thank you once more to Azar443 for being such an amazing FF confidante and twin! ****Anyone who hasn't read her ArMor fics, you're missing out. I recommend "I Think I Could Love You" and "Revelations" (for those who like Estella, she is featured in both of them).**

**This chapter's dedicated to AndyAiden, my lovely parabatai who has given me ideas for new OCs and of course wonderful Azar443. Love you guys!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin.**

* * *

Excalibur

Estella nurses a goblet of wine as she paces her chambers while her personal maidservant, Hefina, packs for the Duchess' journey to Camelot for Prince Arthur's birthday celebration and crowning ceremony.

It is rather a shame that on short visits to Camelot, Estella cannot bring her most trusted servant, but Uther insisted on as few people from Caerleon entering Camelot as possible. The Knights who escorted her to Camelot were not even allowed the privilege to rest for the night. Uther is far too suspicious of Agravaine for that, the only reason they are still in contact is because of their mutual niece.

Although they are not exactly friends, Estella got on better with Hefina than with Gwen. Unlike the latter, Hefina is more of a confident and sultry woman rather than sweet and meek and her mistress admired that in her. Despite her inferior birth, she stands out as her own person. Being smart enough to keep her head down when the situation commanded it, but rebellious enough to do some uncouth things anyway, such as being the lover of a noble knight of Caerleon, but this not what is plaguing the noblewoman's mind.

Something is going to happen soon, she can just _feel_ it and yet she does not _know_ what it is. Her gift of the Sight is not as sharp as Morgana's and so, unless the visions pertained to destiny or prophecy, they would fade from her mind as soon as she opened her eyes.

There is a knock upon her door, interrupting her contemplation, and she promptly says, "Enter."

A tall, flaxen-haired knight comes in, nods his head to the servant, and bows to the noblewoman. "My Lady, you sent for me?"

"Indeed, I did, Sir Ethan," Estella answers. Looking to her maid, "Hefina, if you would…" The younger woman nods dutifully and goes to wait outside the door. She knows of her mistress' intentions, but she must help to ensure that no one else does. And her Lady trusts her to do that.

Said Lady walks over to desk and finishes her wine. It is silent for a time after the maid leaves the chambers and this worries Ethan. There is nothing that happens in and around the duchy of Caerleon that the Duchess Estella does not know about. Therefore she is aware of Ethan and Hefina secretly seeing each other, but whether she approves or not is a mystery to them. If Lord Agravaine learned of their affair, there would be grave consequences.

The woman gives him a knowing look. "Don't look so anxious, this has nothing whatsoever to do with Hefina." He breathes a sigh of relief and waits for her to continue. "Sir Ethan you are my loyal knight, my best huntsman, and you have never failed me in any task I've set upon you, am I correct?"

"Yes, my Lady."

She goes on. "And that is exactly why I trust you to carry out this mission successfully." She picks up a piece of parchment with the sketch of a man on it and gives it to him. "I need you to find this man – but _not_ to kill him. I only want his whereabouts as soon as you locate him."

Along with this strange request, he notices the urgency. The knight's brow furrows, "Why is he of such value?"

"_That_, as of the moment, is none of _your_ concern." She quirks a thin brow, "Why; do you refuse to do this mission?"

"Of course, not, my Lady, I will do as you command. My curiosity simply begs for an explanation." He assures humbly.

Her gray gaze sharpens as she scrutinizes him and the knight shifts uncomfortably. "I hope you are thankful that I am fond of Hefina and that she cares for you because your _curiosity_ would have gotten you killed long ago." Ethan visibly swallows and the woman shakes her head and turns to her window. "Forgive my brashness, I am weary."

"Is something the matter?" he asks with concern.

"Very much so, indeed," she replies rather absently. Looking back at him now, "Do you understand your task?"

Ethan nods, "Yes, my Lady. I promise that I will not fail you."

"Make sure of it." There is a deadly threat hiding under the command. "Go now, Sir Ethan."

Bowing in farewell, "My Lady," he quickly leaves to prepare for his hunt.

* * *

Estella gracefully dismounts her gray horse and turns to her retinue. "I'm sorry that the king will not allow you to stay and join the celebrations." She voices sincerely.

One of the knights walks his horse to her. "No need to apologize my fair Lady, 'tis not your fault." He reaches down and grasps her hand. "I will await the day I may return to see your lovely face once more." He plants a chivalrous kiss upon her hand.

The Lady rolls her eyes, only mildly amused. "You are charming Sir Kahedin, but not charming enough," she pulls her hand from his grasp.

Had Lord Agravaine been present, he would have berated her for such actions. _"The title of Duchess has been granted upon you now, start behaving accordingly!" _She had huffed at that, really when has she not behaved accordingly. Even her Uncle Uther is a much more tolerant guardian.

"Estella!" she looks to the stairs to see her aforementioned uncle striding toward her. Gliding away from Kahedin, she meets her uncle.

Curtsying slightly, she murmurs, "Uncle."

He laughs heartily and pulls her into his embrace. "Oh, the days have been dark as of late."

The young woman laughs, lightly. "Then I fear I must leave in case my presence causes them to become darker."

The king chuckles as he releases his niece and moves her toward the castle. "Come, my dear, you have arrived later than expected and I'm sure that Morgana and Arthur wish to see you before the celebrations tonight."

"Oh, if only they loved me that much," She declares in mock aspiration.

Her uncle gives her a fond smile. "It is good to have you back."

"It's good to _be_ back, Uncle." He kisses her forehead lightly and then walks down the corridor toward the council chambers.

A voice floats into the hall. "Well, I am _very_ much offended."

Estella sighs warily, though affection is still present, "By what now, Arthur?"

"The lack of confidence you have in the fact that I _do_ love you, cousin."

She purses her lip and feigns concentration. "I'm sincerely sorry, though I shouldn't be, since you are obviously not. I think you have too much love for yourself that there is none to spare for me."

Her obvious attempt to keep from laughing assures the prince that his cousin is not being serious and so he chuckles lightly. "So, Duchess, how was your journey?"

"As well as it could've been; is Morgana in her rooms?" He nearly rolls his eyes at her habit of constantly changing the subject, but the sight of Owain rounding the corner, spotting Estella, and then speedily retreating the way he came, made him pause.

When she clears her throat, demanding an answer, "I suppose she is."

Quirking an eyebrow (and though aware of what had just occurred) she decides to tease her cousin, "Why the pause? Is it because you were just there and the activities that transpired during the visit resulted in your rumpled clothes?"

He blinks and then shakes his head, "Wait, what?"

"You really must learn discretion; I do not think the king would approve of you bedding his ward."

The younger man flushes. "Wait- I haven't- we haven't-"

The woman snickers while walking toward the staircase. "Yes, cousin you've convinced me." Though of what she doesn't clarify.

* * *

That night, Estella walks with Morgana to the hall of ceremonies. Usually, they would be escorted by Uther and Arthur respectively, but tonight is the prince's crowning and so the cousins accompany each other. The two women stand at their places at the table as Arthur walks forward and kneels before his father.

Holding the scepter near his chest, Uther begins, "Do you solemnly swear to govern the people of this kingdom and its dominions according to the statutes, customs and laws laid down by your forebears?"

"I do, Sire," Arthur answers.

"Do you promise to exercise mercy and justice in your deeds and judgments?"

The prince nods, "I do, Sire."

Extending the scepter towards his son, "And do you swear allegiance to Camelot, now and for as long as you shall live?"

Gripping the scepter, "I, Arthur Pendragon, do pledge life and limb to your service and to the protection of the kingdom and its peoples."

Smiling, the king turns to the servant next to him and picks up Arthur's crown, "Now being of age and heir apparent, from henceforth, you shall be Crown Prince of Camelot."

The court applauds. Arthur stands up and faces them as Morgana looks at him with pride gleaming in her sea green eyes.

Suddenly a black armored knight on a dark horse bursts through the stained-glass window. Arthur and the knights draw their swords and move in front of the king. Estella shifts closer to Morgana, both of them with daggers ready in their hands.

The horse walks to Arthur and the Black Knight throws down a gauntlet. While everyone else's eyes are on the knight himself, Uther, Gaius, and Estella are looking at the crest on the Black Knight's shield with disbelief.

For Estella's part, she is beyond disbelief. The crest of a white phoenix on a black field – the unique symbol worn only by one knight in history – adapted from a gray phoenix on a midnight blue field; the crest of the de Bois house, Estella's house. She knows with every fiber of her being that the Black Knight is…

Arthur sheathes his sword and moves to pick up the gauntlet, but another knight gets there first.

Standing a bit arrogantly with the gauntlet in hand, he says, "I, Sir Owain, accept your challenge."

The knight shifts his head to Owain and tells him the rules: "Single combat, noon tomorrow, till the death." And then he rides out while all heads turn to look upon Owain. Estella makes a quick departure from the hall, clearly distraught and unnoticed by everyone but Morgana and Arthur.

**...**

"He shouldn't have picked up the gauntlet!" Arthur seethes.

"So put an end to it." Morgana says as she approaches him.

"The challenge has been taken up. The fight cannot be stopped."

The Lady insists, "Then fight in his place."

"I can't," he retorts.

"Why not?" she counters

The prince explains, "_Owain _picked up the gauntlet. _Owain_ is the one who must fight. That's the Knight's Code. He knew that."

As he turns away, Morgana reminds him, "But it's a fight to the death!"

He stops and hangs his head, "I know."

Now, the Lady softens and lowers her voice, fearing that Gwen could overhear some personal information. It's not that she doesn't trust Gwen, but this knowledge is not hers to share with those who did not already know. "Arthur, he's our friend and Estella's…"

He sighs, "I know." The prince goes to the door, but before he leaves he tell her, "I'll speak with him."

It is Morgana's turn to sigh, but she reasons that that is the best he can do in the circumstances.

**...**

The king's niece looks up as she hears the sound of footsteps and chainmail. Owain comes into view against the dark and shadows of the corridor. The only source of light is from the moon coming through the windows, matching the shade of Estella's own eyes.

"Duchess Estella," Owain addresses her bitingly. He is trying to maintain a nonchalant front, but of course she can see the sadness and hurt. She pities him, but she doesn't regret her former actions. Her Le Fay pride and cool reasoning prevent that.

"I knew you were not the brightest of minds, but I did not realize that you were a complete idiot." Alright, that is a bit harsh after all that she has already said, but she needs to fuel his anger, because ironically enough, Owain sees reason best when he is angry.

The knight scowls. "I thought we were going to have a civil conversation, but I forgot, you have no civility."

"Do not insult me!" she rebukes.

"What, will you use the power of your title and position to punish?" A reasonable question and just what she wanted him to say.

"If I had all the power in Albion I would use it to stop you from fighting the Black Knight."

Owain does _not_ allow himself to hope. "And why does it matter to you?"

"Because I care for you," the duchess admits. "I will say that I never have had and probably never _could_ have true romantic feelings for you, but I did like you _and_ care for you and I still do to an extent, enough to warn you that you will not survive the dual tomorrow."

For quite some time, he assesses what she just told him and somehow he feels relief, but he will not say it and seeing her impatience coming, he finally asks, "And what makes you so certain of this?"

This would have deadpanned her had not for her quick mind that formulated an explanation. "You have never faced mortal combat, you have no experience."

"So it is back to my inexperience?"

"Wouldn't you rather that than me saying your idiocy?" Her eyes resemble the steel of a sharpened sword. "Owain, I know what you are doing. You are only taking this challenge as a way to prove yourself to me, but I tell you there is no need."

His pride will not let him confirm her statement, but she already knows that she is right. "I will not back down from the dual." He tells her with finality. "I will not break the Knight's Code."

And Estella realizes that this is a lost cause. Looking towards the floor, "Then I hope that I have given you some closure."

Owain simply nods that she has and slowly he retreats to his chambers. The duchess remains motionless in the corridor. "You can come out now, cousin."

Morgana jumps at the sound of her cousin's voice directed at her. She abandons her hiding place and approaches Estella. "I'm sorry; I was just looking for you. I didn-"

"No need to apologize, for it is I who should be doing that."

The younger woman's brow furrows, "What do you mean?"

Estella clarifies, "It's my fault that he will meet his death tomorrow."

"Estella, you tried to stop him."

Her cousin shakes her head. "I was able to keep him in line during our affair, but I pushed him away and did not foresee that this would hurt him more than if I simply played him for a lovesick fool."

Morgana knows better than to continue to tell her that the blame should not be on her conscience, but she is curious about one thing. "You said that you never could have true romantic feelings for Owain, what did you mean?"

The older woman chooses the less painful answer. "My family will always mean more to me than a man."

Her perceptive cousin can see that she is holding something back, however, she respects Estella greatly and so she accepts her words. And after a moment, they both retire to their respective chambers.

* * *

In the morning, Arthur is in Owain's chambers doing as he had promised Morgana the night before. His over-confident knight did not seem uneasy about the dual and this worries him. Owain is indeed a brave warrior, but he is still young and lacks experience.

A quick knocking, the door opens, and Gwen enters. She curtsies to Owain, while the prince turns away, in case she bears something private from Estella.

The maid lifts up a red strip of fabric, "The Lady Morgana asked me to give you this token."

Arthur whips around. Really it shouldn't bother him. Morgana is a Lady of court, she is allowed to give tokens to knight at tournaments and duals, in fact, it is almost expected, but she never…and he thought that Estella... He shakes his head dismissing whatever the token meant and missing that Gwen said it was for luck. The prince can't help the slight envy that creeps up. _"She's never given me any tokens."_

_**...**_

There is somberness and fear tainting the atmosphere as Owain and Arthur enter the tournament grounds. Time seems to drag on as the rules are set and the fighters take their stances. When the prince declares for battle to commence, time speeds up.

Morgana takes Estella's hand and grips it comfortingly. The Black Knight strikes first, landing many quick, heavy blows to Owain's shield. The young knight is barely able to keep up his defense. It seems only by luck that Owain is able to stab the other knight in the gut, but the attack is futile.

When the young knight realizes this, it is too late. The Black Knight strikes him down and with a twist of his sword, he kills Owain. The crowd gasps in horror. The cold wind seems colder now.

The knight faces the crowd and calls for another challenger. Arthur tries to bolt over the barrier of the stands, but his father grabs him. Sir Pellinore jumps over the stands and takes up the gauntlet and in turn the challenge.

Sir Pellinore fares better than Owain during his fight but his upper hand in the dual is short lived. A blatant stab in chest does not fell the Black Knight.

Instead, he takes advantage of tiring Pellinore and runs him through. Arthur can't take this any longer. He stands and throws his gauntlet down.

"I, Arthur Pendragon, challenge you." The prince declares.

"So be it." Tristan answers.

"Single combat, noon, tomorrow"

And with these words sinking in, the cold, winter air penetrates Morgana's veins, freezing her blood and clenching her heart. She suddenly finds it difficult to breathe.

* * *

Uther stands in the council chambers when the chill suddenly increases and the candles are extinguished. The king turns and a woman he had not seen for over twenty years is before him. "I should've known."

The woman in red smiles at him, "It is more than I'd hoped for, Uther; soon Arthur will be slain. You will have sent him to his death."

"Haven't you tired of revenge?" the man asks.

"Haven't _you_?" Nimueh counters. "_You_ began this war when you threw me from the court and slaughtered those of my kind."

"You brought it on yourselves. You practice _evil_," The king states.

The Priestess narrows her eyes and if one looked closely hurt is evident in those deep blue depths. "I was your _friend_, Uther! You welcomed me and magic here." But it was all for Ygraine, the woman that Uther loved more than power, the woman who accepted magic because of her friendship with Vivienne and Valeria and her kind heart.

He is unmoved. "You betrayed that friendship."

"I did as you asked! I used the magic you so despise to give your _barren_ wife the son you craved." The words are bitter on her tongue, not only because they are an insult, but because of the untruth in that disgraceful word.

Uther looks at the witch directly. "Don't _ever_ speak of her in that way. She was my heart, my soul-"

"And who was it that gave her to you," She questions, "When from birth she was promised to your best friend, who was it that had their betrothal broken in order for you have her?"

The king shakes his head, the gratitude for what the witch had done for him in the past long gone. "You took her from me."

"She died giving birth to your son. It was _not_ my choice. That is the law of magic. To create a life, there had to be a death. The balance of the world had to be repaid."

"You knew it would kill her," he accuses.

"No, you're _wrong_." And that is a lie, for he speaks the truth. "If I had foreseen her death and the terrible retribution you would seek... I would never have granted your wish," again, a lie.

Uther hangs his head, "I wish you hadn't."

"You wish you didn't have a son?" Her surprise melts into smugness. "Well, your wish will come true tomorrow."

Raising his head, "I will not let you take him."

Nimueh's eyes are sharp and piercing, she knows what he will attempt and she expects and wants this. "I have watched so many people I love die at your hands, Uther Pendragon." He looks away, guilt piercing his heart. "Now it is your turn."

And when Uther turns around, the Priestess is gone.

* * *

Arthur stands at his window alone as he stares out at the Black Knight. In the moonlight, one can see the doubts that he hides inside. He feels her before he hears her and he turns to the door. Morgana is watching him and for once her fear is showing completely. "I don't want you to fight tomorrow." She says firmly.

The prince stares at the ward, surprised by her conviction, "Why not?" he asks.

She feels some kind of premonition "I don't know what it is… Please – I'm warning you.

Despite the situation, he smiles, "You're worried about me."

"No," she shakes her head. "It's not me. It's your father. Can't you see what you're doing to him?"

Doubtfully, he restates, "My father?"

"Obviously, he cares about you." Betraying her own emotions, she inadvertly tells Arthur what she would not say aloud. "He loves you, Arthur. He doesn't want to lose you."

And Arthur recognizes exactly what she is saying, "And I feel the same." Her heart skips a beat. "But…I have to do this."

"Arthur, please, I'm begging you," If this is to be his last night, then she needs for him to know that she cares, even if their (unspoken) first rule is to deny it.

At the sight of her quivering form, he almost breaks down and gives in, but this is not about her or them, it is him and his honor alone. And this is the one thing he won't do for her, back down from a fight. "I have to, it's my duty."

For a long moment, they hold each other's stare. Tears are forming in Morgana's sea green eyes and Arthur doesn't even restrain himself from allowing his sky eyes to glaze over. Finally, she tells him, "I understand."

Slowly she turns and goes and Arthur doesn't stop her, he simply bows his head and sighs despairingly. He always claimed to be the courageous knight, fearing no fight or foe and yet this woman is able to make him feel like a coward.

* * *

Estella walks swiftly and silently through the halls and out of the castle. She knows of her uncle and Gaius' plans for tomorrow, but this is exactly what Nimueh wants and she cannot allow that. In spite of her usual behavior, she knows that this is one of those times in which meddling is required. Tomorrow, it will _not_ be Uther facing the Black Knight, it _will_ be Arthur.

She stops short, realizing that she had unconsciously walked into the training grounds and there, only a few meters from her, stands the Black Knight, her father-No! He is _not_ her father she tells herself. He is a wraith, a monster created from her father's corpse. A creature with the sole purpose of killing her uncle, ironically the only father figure she's ever known.

Tristan died a few mere months before Estella turned two and since then, Estella has traveled with her mother from one place to another. When Vivienne 'died' Gorlois had called Valeria and Estella to Cornwall. Even though the Duke was a kind and loving man, he was never a father to Estella. He tried, but with his own daughter motherless, he needed to offer his own young child as much love he could give her and Estella could not begrudge Morgana or Gorlois for that. Agravaine was a strict and cold man; he cared more for power than he ever would for his niece and the feeling was mutual for her. And then there is Uther, the only relative in her life that acted as a father. Despite him being a king, he somehow made time for Camelot, Arthur, Morgana, and even Estella.

The duchess' mind goes back to her biological father, whom she cannot recall any vivid memories. She never asked her mother what Tristan was like. He died for his sister, at his brother-in-law's hand, and that must count for something. As she stares at his- the wraith's motionless form, her curiosity ebbs at her. But this not the time for this, shaking her head roughly, she continues on towards her destination.

* * *

A few hours before sunrise, the Duchess of Caerleon creeps through the castle on her way to Arthur's chambers. When she arrives, she finds her cousin snoring and fast asleep, but when checking his mind, she finds that it is clouded, which means that he is drugged and therefore Gaius has beaten her.

"Dammit," she hisses. Her mother is going to kill her for this, but she had to finish what she started. Her moonlight eyes glow amber and with a quick spell, she chases the draught out of his system, ensuring that he will awake on time for the dual tomorrow.

As quietly as she entered, she departs.

* * *

Morgana sits at her dressing table. She hasn't slept and she looks ill. Gwen is concerned and is about to force her mistress to eat, when the door opens and the king's niece enters. She dismisses the maid and turns to her cousin.

"Morgana," the younger woman doesn't respond. "Cousin, everything will alright."

The king's ward sharply turns. "How can you be sure? Owain, Pellinore, what if-?"

"That will not happen, because he will have something they didn't have." She looks up at the elder woman and a vision of a blade crosses her mind, like a recovered memory long forgotten. Then, Estella pulls out from her midnight blue cloak the sword Morgana saw the moment before. "_This _blade will ensure Arthur's victory."

* * *

Merlin helps Arthur with his armor. He can tell that his master is tense despite his confident and at ease words. Looking over the prince's shoulder, the warlock sees the Lady Morgana. With the tilt of her head, she indicates that he should leave and he does so.

But not before one last glance at the noblewoman, Estella's threat still rings in his ears, _"I know you will protect Arthur, but if _**_anything_**_ happens to Morgana I swear that I will haunt you for the rest of this life and all the ones after until you pay for your sins."_

When the servant shuts the door, Morgana finishes his work, adjusting the prince's armor. Being close to him, supporting him without words, that is always how it's been.

Their minds do not think about the dual that is to commence this day. Instead, they are thinking about _them_. They bicker and fight incessantly, one would assume that that is what comes from being raised almost as 'siblings.' But there is something else between them, something unspoken and rarely shown that always draws them together. And they wonder if they'd ever be together like this again.

When she met Arthur's eyes, she knows he is thinking the same. But he will not say it and she will not either.

Removing her hands, they go to her belt, where she hung the sword Estella told her is meant for Arthur.

The prince's eyes widen as he takes in the sight of the fine blade Morgana holds out to him. Shaking his head, "What are you…?"

"Take it," she says.

He tries to protest, "But-"

"_Arthur_, this sword is meant for _you_ to wield in this dual. Now take it."

Hesitantly, Arthur does so and right when his fingers curl on the handle a tingling runs up his arm and through his body causing him to gasp. He looks at Morgana again, "Thanks."

She nods and once again, they hold each other's gazes. Arthur doesn't know what it is: The sword in his hand, the ticking clock, but something gives him the courage he didn't have the night before. Ever so slowly, he leans his head down toward Morgana and as if by instinct, she tilts her head to him.

Unfortunately, Merlin then decides to burst back into the room and announce that it is time for the fight. The servant swears that Arthur's glare _actually_ cuts him.

* * *

The clash of swords rings through the air as Arthur fights the Black Knight. Morgana sits with Gwen, a hollow feeling in her chest. Estella, who had been distracting Uther, stands with her uncle on the sidelines as the king watches the dual with fear.

Though the other knight seems stronger, Arthur is quicker. He evades every attack and gets in many strikes of his own. The fight seems to go on forever and the prince appears to be tiring.

'_ARTHUR!'_ Morgana screams in her head and from the look in his eyes, it almost seems as though he hears her in his own mind. With the last of his strength, the prince stabs his sword into the Black Knight's chest, disfiguring the crest.

The crowds then begin to cheer, the wraith has fallen.

* * *

Vivienne and Valeria walk side-by-side towards the Lake of Avalon. The both of them are silent; there is nothing that they need to discuss at present. Though, they are both glad that Estella has finally learned to simply act, instead of waiting for others.

Loosening Excalibur (which Arthur had returned to Morgana and Morgana to Estella and Estella to Valeria) from her belt, the younger Le Fay twin gives it to her sister. Vivienne holds up the blade and tosses the sword into the lake. There it will remain, until the King rises.

* * *

**Author's Note: Thanks for reading and please review. If there's anything that you'd like to see in future chapters, let me know, I'll try to put it in.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note: Thank you once more to Azar443 for being such an incredible FF confidante and twin! Thank you Mercia12591 for your suggestions! Thanks again to my parabatai/editor AndyAiden and Peyton for editing and throwing out ideas, as well. Love you all!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin.**

* * *

The Moment of Truth

Estella finally receives word from Sir Ethan, saying that he has found the man she is searching for. And so, she leaves Camelot once more – not for Caerleon this time – to the borders of Essetir (not that anyone in Camelot knows this… aside from Arthur and Morgana, of course). She rides her horse until the mare cannot go any longer and then they stop for a quick rest.

The duchess chooses this time to bathe and calm her troubled mind. The water is chilling on her pale skin, but she soon is not aware of the temperature as her thoughts flow through her mind and she closes her eyes, sinking under the surface.

When the need for air comes and the flash of a face of a young, dark-haired boy of seventeen flashes in her mind, she rises. Shaking the vision away, she dries herself and then dresses in her breeches, tunic, light chainmail, boots, cloak, and gloves.

After tying her mostly-dried hair back, Estella walks back to her horse, but is taken aback when she sees a tall, dark-haired man next to her mare. Tightening her grip on her sword, she silently walks towards the man. He is tentatively stroking the mare's nose and the horse is calm. The two seem as though they are old friends (and perhaps they are).

When she is close enough, the duchess puts the tip of her sword to the stranger's neck. His relaxed composure instantly stiffens. He removes his hands from the horse and slowly backs away, careful to not get himself marred by the blade.

"I mean no harm," he tries telling the woman, but she is not risking anything.

"Then go back to where ever you came from." The duchess retorts back.

The man seems to relax again as he walks toward the direction that his footprints show that he came. Estella lowers her blade, but keeps it unsheathed as she checks her mare. She doesn't notice that the man is still in her presence until he speaks.

"Well, I do believe that I have died and gone to heaven," Remarks a smooth voice. The woman jerks her head to look back at the man. "For such beauty cannot possibly exist upon the earth."

She is stupefied for a moment, not really by his words but by his face. The man has a tan complexion, softly prominent, high cheekbones, a strong nose, a shadow of a beard, and deep hazel eyes. A stranger at first glance, but she knows it is only because of the years that, of course, bring change. When the man starts to smirk at her expression, she regains some of her composure. "Don't you have somewhere else to be than to bother me?"

The man raises a dark brow and continues to smirk. "What; has no one ever praised your beauty?"

"What do you want?" She curses herself, for her question almost sounds like a plea for mercy.

He starts to walk closer to her. "I suppose first would be your name." That roguish grin that she could recognize anywhere is set upon his face. She doesn't give him what he wants. The duchess simply ignores him and climbs nimbly onto her horse. The man seems frightened that she is leaving. "I'm sorry, I have been discourteous." He makes a show of bowing chivalrously, "Allow me introduce myself. I'm Gwa-."

"Not important," she snaps and urges her horse to run. Estella hears his shouts of protest, but drowns them out of her mind. They were never meant to meet again (in her mind) and yet they have.

Estella shakes her head. She shouldn't be concerned about a chance (fateful) meeting; she has a quest to fulfill and she'll be damned if she lets the wounds an old flame inflicted on her keep her from it.

* * *

Merlin's mother, Hunith, walks into the Throne Room and stands before Uther and the court. She pleads to the king to aid save her village, but the king – although sincerely wanting to help – thinks of the thought of his own people first. For an army of Camelot to enter it would be an act of war and he cannot risk this upon Camelot, as he tells the peasant woman.

Arthur looks defeated, while Morgana glares at Uther, silently cursing the fact that Estella once left for Caerleon when Camelot needs her. The Lady moves to help the peasant woman on her feet and escorts Hunith out of the Throne Room.

* * *

Gwen and Merlin are in Gwen's house as the maid helps the servant pack for his trip. After stuffing some chainmail into a sack, the woman picks up a sheathed blade and unsheathes it with ease. Gwen hands the sword to Merlin who cautiously reaches for the blade and she sucks in her breath, warning him, and then he grabs the hilt.

Gwen raises her eyebrows at the response Merlin gave her to how the sword feels. She can see the nervousness her friend has for this journey and what he must do. He knows nothing of combat. Gwen herself is not an expert – far from it, but her father is a blacksmith and Morgana and Estella have given her some training, so she can hold her own in fight.

Before Gwen can respond to why she packed him armor, Morgana then opens the door and enters the house, dressed in trousers and a belted tunic, her black locks drawn back from her face. "We're coming with you." She informs him.

Initially, the warlock protests, but he can see that he will not be able to dissuade them from their decision) while looking at the women with pure gratitude. Morgana notices some additional affection on Merlin's part when his blue eyes are on Gwen and this makes her smile.

A few hours later, three of them and Hunith are on the road, riding on horseback toward Ealdor.

* * *

It is late in the night. Morgana does not know the time, but she senses a presence (one she knows very well) and a strong (also recognizable) aura in the woods. Opening her green eyes, she sees Merlin walking toward one direction, where presence is, so she decides to go in the direction of the aura with her sword (that is unless she hears him scream or something, then she'll go and save him).

The Lady walks with steady, trained steps – barely making a sound. She can feel the aura's presence becoming stronger.

She hears a crunch on the dead grass behind her. Turning around, she sees familiar, ethereal eyes smiling at her.

The corners of Morgana's lips curve upward. "I knew you would find us."

**...**

The warlock looks around him, looking around for signs of any threats, frightened out of his wits. Suddenly, he feels the tip of a sword on his back and he stiffens.

"I'd ask you for money, but I know you don't have any," the voice says drily.

Merlin turns around swiftly, "Arthur!"

The prince ducks as Merlin's sword swings near his head. Merlin looks at him with relief and amazement while golden-haired man simply looks annoyed. "Put the sword down, Merlin. You look ridiculous." Arthur takes Merlin's sword and walks toward their camp.

When they arrive, they find Hunith and Gwen awake with a fire. Morgana is missing from the group.

Arthur's eyes dart in every direction as he demands, "Where's Morgana?" slightly panicked.

"I woke up and she was gone," Gwen tells the prince, fear and worry tainting her tone.

Hunith shares an anxious look with her son, as Arthur looks at the ground trying to decipher her tracks in the dirt.

"Don't worry, I'm right here." The missing Lady walks out of the darkness from a direction towards their right. Arthur looks at her with something akin to fury, but before he can say anything, "Glad to see you finally made it." Obviously she knew that he would come.

"Glad to see that you are _alive_." The prince throws back. "You realize these woods have wild animals and bandits, right?"

She rolls her eyes. "I'm perfectly capable of protecting myself, Arthur." Turning toward the direction she came, "Besides… I had some back up."

From the gloom, three more figures emerge. A tall, slim, raven-haired woman flanked by a tall flaxen-haired man foreign to Merlin and his mother and another brown-haired man, unknown by only the latter.

Arthur's anger dissipates and his face breaks out into a smile, one the woman matches. "Estella!" he exclaims. Looking at the two men, "Sir Ethan," he addresses the flaxen man and "Lancelot" to the other. "I suppose you'll be joining us now," he deduces.

"Saving a village," Estella feigns contemplation, "Sounds much more fun than playing the trophy of Caerleon." The three cousins share their trademark grin at her joke.

Sir Ethan rallies up all the horses and ties them together. The rest of the introductions are made and the eight of them settle around the fire.

"This also gives Lancelot here a chance to be a proper knight if he is to ever be one of Camelot's again," Estella adds with a grin.

"You're going to make Lancelot a knight?" Merlin blurts out. The duchess raises an elegant brow at his slight outburst. The young boy lowers his head, afraid that he had spoken out of turn (he's feared her even more than before since their last conversation) but really the woman was more curious about his tone of voice. It sounded as if he didn't want Lancelot to be knight.

Quickly she answers him. "Yes, one of mine – a knight of Caerleon, it will be a good start for the first peasant knight of Camelot to rise once more." Estella grins again, "It took quite a bit of persuasion to convince him that he is worthy of this 'honor' as he calls it."

The man blushes slightly from his spot next to Ethan, but smiles at his new duchess. Gwen, sitting between Morgana and Hunith, feels a tug at her heart at the sight of that. Merlin sees the slightly hurt and longing look Gwen gives Lancelot and he feels himself returning that expression to the young woman. Everyone else is oblivious as they congratulate Lancelot.

They continue to talk until the maternal side of Hunith nearly demands all the young people to sleep.

* * *

In the morning, the company mounts their horses and continues on their way to Ealdor. They arrive to find Kanen and his men raiding the village. Before bandit strikes down a villager, Arthur draws his short sword and throws it past the man's head, hitting the post behind him.

The prince dismounts and starts to fight off the other bandits. Estella and Morgana are close behind Arthur. Merlin rides up and after seeing that his mother is alright and that Lancelot has taken to keeping Gwen from harm (though this bothers him a bit), he starts to fight as best as he knows how.

"Kill them!" Kanen orders his men. In the melee the villagers grab their food and children and rush to shelter while Ethan, Lancelot, Merlin, Estella, Morgana, and Arthur fight the bandits.

Merlin is cornered by one of the men and had he not possessed magic, he would have been dead. Ethan is chopping the men down, while also watching out for Estella who is slashing the enemy with ease.

Morgana cuts down a man and turns looking for her friends in the fray. She sees Arthur fighting a bandit, but another is approaching his backside, ready to strike him. With a new surge of adrenaline, Morgana races from her spot and just as Arthur turns around and the sword is about to strike him, the Lady arrives just in time to parry the first attack and several others, until she gains the upper hand and slashes the bandit across the belly.

All the while, Arthur is watching from behind, clearly impressed by her skills with the sword (he doesn't know about the private training Estella's given Morgana).

Turning around, Morgana grins and prances past Arthur. "Bring back memories of when I used to beat you?"

He's quick to snap, "That never happened." (But of course it's a lie).

Estella frolics behind him and ruffles her cousin's hair, "Sure it didn't," she grins and he scowls at her.

Kanen and his remaining men mount their horses and flee, but not before giving a final threat. "You'll pay for this with your lives! All of you!"

When they are out of sight, Arthur addresses the villagers. However, one particular peasant boy is keen to not listen. Arthur, Hunith, the peasant boy named William, and the rest of the villages debate back and forth on what is to be done about Kanen.

The prince advises the villagers to fight, but William is quick to reproach him. "You just want the honor and glory of battle! That's what drives men like you!" Estella's steely gaze glares at William, had it not been for Ethan and Morgana holding her back she would have full on attack him (_no one_ insults her cousin like that). "Look, if you want to fight, then go home and risk the lives of your own people, not ours!" The boy storms away.

The rest of the villagers ignore him and stand up in support of Arthur's views, willing to follow him.

* * *

The next morning, Merlin helps Arthur put his vest on as Morgana approaches while tying the strings of her bracers.

"You still not learned how to dress yourself?" she taunts.

The prince shrugs while straightening his vest. "You don't have a dog and fetch the stick yourself." Then to his servant he quickly says, "No offence, Merlin."

"None taken," He mutters back.

Hunith comes over with a bowl, "Prince Arthur, you didn't finish your breakfast."

"Didn't I?" He sounds sarcastically surprised, but only the two women closest to him can hear it.

"Come on, eat up." Estella tells him, it's almost like when they were children. Estella had been the one to force Arthur to eat what he should even when he didn't want to.

Arthur picks up the spoon and pretends to eat, "Mmmmm."

When Hunith has her back turned, the prince quickly hands the bowl off to his cousin. Turning to Merlin and ordering the supplies they would need. The two noblewomen share a wary before following the two boys outside.

**...**

Arthur begins training the village men. Merlin is off somewhere with the estranged village boy, Ethan is giving Lancelot a bit of combat lesson, as well, while Estella, Morgana, and Gwen watch the training as they sharpen swords.

Morgana hates to say this, but it is the truth. "There is no way they're going to be able to hold Kanen off."

The duchess examines a sword the maid handed her. "Men aren't the only ones who can fight." She makes a show of twirling the blade skillfully.

Gwen smiles, "The two of you, my Ladies, are proof of that."

Morgana smirks at her friends. "Arthur's probably not going to like that idea."

"Right…" the eldest woman drawls, "Especially since you are suggesting putting _yourself _in danger, he's going to _hate_ it."

The maid laughs softly at the implication, while her mistress looks at her and the duchess in disbelief. The two do not look apologetic.

**...**

As expected, the prince does not agree to the idea of the women staying behind to fight. Morgana would have continued to argue if cousin joined her, but Estella is quiet as Arthur walks back to training the men.

"Why didn't you say anything?" the younger woman demands.

"Well since he is not going to listen," the older woman grins, "Then we'll just have to work behind his back."

Morgana's eyes light up and she returns the smile. "I should have guessed. You do love working undercover."

The duchess winks. "Go and find a secluded area for the training to commence, I will recruit." The Lady nods and walks toward the forest.

Estella walks over to Merlin, who is slumped against a wooden fence while watching Gwen with Lancelot. He jumps a bit when he realizes her presence, still uneasy and fearful around her. "Why so melancholy?"

The young boy shakes his head, feigning an indifferent expression, "Nothing."

Rolling her eyes, "Please, warlock, you cannot lie to a Le Fay."

Merlin is initially quiet, shuffling his feet uncomfortably. "Well… I-"

"Found that your feelings toward Gwen are not what they seemed," it is more a statement than a question.

The young man hangs his head in shame – shame for the fact that he was so infatuated by the radiant ward of the king, he forgot to look to the girl who was always there right beside him. Now, that girl has moved on to someone else – someone who gives her the attention she deserves – and he is left behind knowing the feeling of unrequited love, the same she has felt as he kept his eyes on another.

Estella looks at him with a bit of pity, but she's not sorry, this is how it is meant to be, there is someone else for Merlin… though he won't discover this until later. "Take it from someone who has experienced it all, if you and Gwen are meant to be, then she will find her way back to you."

"And if we are not and she doesn't, what then?" the dark-haired boy asks.

Gwen laughs merrily at something Lancelot said and he grins down at her affectionately. Merlin winces slightly at the sight.

The older woman is silent for a moment as she glances at the two comfortably interacting and blatantly flirting. "There are many possible futures, Emrys."

"And what have you seen?" he asks bluntly.

"You have a future together," she tells him, but does not elaborate on it. She feels slightly bad for telling a half truth, so she adds, "There are other people, Merlin. Even if you won't feel for them as you do Gwen. There is someone out there, simply take my word for it."

The last bit sounds like a command and so the subject is dropped. "You can stop this." Estella raises an eyebrow. "You could use your magic to defeat Kanen and prevent all the bloodshed that is likely to occur if we follow through with Arthur's plan."

The woman becomes deathly still and her steely gray eyes cause the younger man to shiver. "Magic is _not always _the answer. Do try to remember that." She then leaves him as he continues to watch the pair, who are oblivious to his eyes scrutinizing them as they walk towards the woods.

* * *

"Are you excited to become a knight of Caerleon?" Gwen asks her companion.

"I really don't know, but I am afraid that I won't live up to the title, my Lady." Lancelot responds.

The young woman laughs lightly. "Lancelot, I'm not a Lady."

"You are to me." He says back.

She's taken aback for a moment, "Uh, well, then _you_ are worthy of being one of Estella's knights and you _will_ be a great one. I have faith in that."

The young man smiles at the maid. "I'm glad you do."

That intense moment they had experienced once before in Gwen's house before Lancelot left to fight the griffin. Unfortunately, the moment is shattered when Merlin calls for them to join the others in Ealdor's common building.

**...**

"Tomorrow morning, the women and children should gather what belongings they can carry and go to the woods." The prince tells them.

Morgana proclaims, "We're not going anywhere!"

Arthur sighs, "I know you want to help. The women can't stay here. It's too dangerous."

"The women have as much right to fight as the men do!" Morgana adds as Estella steps forward and stands beside her cousin.

"But none of you know how to fight." Arthur reasons.

Estella smirks, "Is that so?"

Realizing what that statement meant as well as the gleam in her eyes, Arthur then rolls his good-naturedly, "Recruiting more secret soldiers?"

"The more of us there are," Estella starts.

"The better chance we stand!" Morgana finishes. "No sacrifice should be in vain."

The village women step forward behind the two noblewomen.

The prince then nods, finally accepting them. "This is your home. If you want to fight to defend it, that's your choice. I'd be honored to stand alongside you. Kanen attacks tomorrow. Kanen's brutal. He fights only to kill, which is why he will never defeat us. Look around. In this circle, we're all equals. You're not fighting because someone's ordering you to, you're fighting for so much more than that. You fight for your homes. You fight for your family. You fight for your friends. You fight for the right to grow crops in peace. And if you fall, you fall fighting for the noblest of causes: fighting for your very right to survive! And when you're old and gray, you'll look back on this day, and you'll know you earned the right to live every day in between! So you fight! For your family! For your friends! For Ealdor!"

The villagers stand with raised swords, chanting, "For Ealdor! Ealdor! Ealdor! Ealdor! Ealdor!"

* * *

The following morning, Arthur takes up standing guard himself, leaving before breakfast. After the rest of his company finish eating, they walk outside to survey the day.

Estella comes out of Hunith's house with a bowl and goes to her cousin. "Bring this to Arthur would you, he hasn't eaten yet."

Morgana looks at her quizzically, "Why me? Send Gwen-"

"Gwen is currently preoccupied and stuck in a love triangle," the older woman intercedes as she raises her chin toward the three peasants who have tasted court life. Gwen is walking between Merlin and Lancelot, blatantly trying to seem comfortable in both their presences. While the soon-to-be knight looks uneasy, the manservant looks rather satisfied with the awkwardness.

The younger cousin raises an eyebrow. "Well… I never thought…" she trails off; there is no need for her to finish the sentence anyway. Turning back, "Why don't you bring it to him?"

"Because I must go tell off my huntsman," the duchess glances at Sir Ethan, who is standing behind her at a very close proximity, "I swear he wants to become my shadow."

Morgana chuckles lightly, "But-"

"Go on," Estella hands her the bowl and pushes her toward the direction leading to Arthur.

**...**

Arthur leans against a tree, senses alert, his mind still doubtful of the turnout of all this. He feels her presence (as usual) before anything else. Estella's trained her well, so her steps are quiet, and he is truly awed by Morgana's advancement in the arts of combat. The Lady approaches him with a bowl.

"I brought you some food." She tells him as she hands the bowl to the prince.

Arthur nods, "Thanks…" He stirs the food a bit, muttering to himself, not finding the food appealing at all.

Morgana gives him a reprimanding look, "Food is scarce for these people, you should at least be thankful that they're sharing any with a spoiled prince like you."

There's edge to her voice, one that Morgana uses when something is personal for her, Arthur recognizes it. "You sound like you are one of them. Morgana you're as spoiled as me, if not more so." He doesn't mean it as an insult, but it is true.

Thankfully she sees that. "You're right, but I haven't always lived in the luxuries of royalty."

Arthur stays quiet. Morgana has rarely spoken of her life before Camelot, the prince knew only what others told him, and that wasn't even much. All he knows of the orphan, ten-year-old Morgana who became his father's ward is that: she is from Cornwall, grew up in Tintagel Castle, and is the daughter of Duke Gorlois and his wife Duchess Vivienne. The Duchess died in a tragic fire before Morgana was even a year old and so the widowed duke showered his only daughter – his only _child_ – with everything she could ever want and all the love he had to give.

The Lady beside him interrupts his thoughts. "I lost my mother when I was but an infant. My father loved her with all his being and losing her hurt him more than any battle wound he's ever sustained. He still had me, so he gave me everything. I wanted for nothing, but the only thing I wanted was him and he was always there. But he was also always afraid that something would happen to me and so he took me everywhere with him." She chuckles lightly, "Everyone told him he was mad for bringing a child to battles, skirmishes, and hunts, especially since I am a girl. But I know that I was always safest when I was with him." Her green eyes now appear far away. "Cornwall is a small duchy and so, many enemies would take the liberty of attacking the villages. Father was their champion, defending them and defeating the adversary and then kneeling to the villagers' needs no matter what it took. He never wanted to be treated as the noble duke amongst them, but as their friend. However they lived and ate and slept, my father would do the same and since I was with him, I would, too." She pauses and takes a deep breath. "So, no, I was never a peasant, but I know them and their hearts. They are just like us, only born into a different life."

They both are silent for a while. Arthur is uncomfortable with the silence, so he begins to eat a bit. Even this is unnerving, though. He puts the bowl down on a boulder. "Your father…" he starts, "sounds even greater of a man through your eyes."

A tender smile stretches onto her lips. "I only speak truthfully of what I saw. I idolized my father no matter what people said about him. He was a man who stood for what he believed in, for honor, justice, and hope for the people."

"Sounds like you," he says with clear admiration and warmth.

Her sea green eyes look up to meet his sky blue ones. It seems that while she was recounting her past, Morgana and Arthur had moved closer to each other. And here they are again, close proximity and dire times, the only thing missing is the sword and Morgana's story seems to have replace that as Morgana tilts her head to him and Arthur, once more, leans his head down slowly. This time there is no Merlin or anyone or anything else to interrupt.

Their eyes close and their lips meet ever so softly and rather tentatively. They've kissed before (just to see what kissing was like), but it was always a quick, clumsy peck upon each other's lips, but this is completely different, there is no awkwardness, only fire and ice. Arthur gently puts his hands on her waist and pushes her against a tree, she responds by wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to her. Pure lightning and fire searing and cooling between them as their tongues dual and they continue to try and get closer.

When the need for air comes, they break apart, but still hold each other close. Arthur presses his forehead against hers while they both pant for air and their eyes slowly open to gaze into each other's depths. The colors are different – just like their hair, their beliefs, their families – and yet the same, shining with want and affection.

But their minds are thinking the same thing: this is not the time or place for this – duty must come first, desire later. Arthur backs away and Morgana straightens up from the tree. They don't speak another word. They don't need to, their eyes say everything.

Unhurriedly, the Lady walks back to the village, conscious of the prince's eyes watching her the entire way.

* * *

Merlin slashes at every bandit that comes in sight. However, after every kill, he glances to Gwen to ensure that she is alright. He sees that Lancelot is always at her side.

Before the battle, Gwen had taken Merlin aside to talk about the tension he's had since Lancelot joined them. Somehow her soft words gave him hope that perhaps they still had a chance together. And so he let go of his jealousy and anger to fight for his village.

After he fells another man, the warlock turns around to see his friend Will joining the fight. The two fight side by side. Ethan is still watching after Estella as he hacks bandit after bandit. Arthur fights and keeps watch over Morgana as she does the same for him. Their cousin watches out for both of them while taking down her own opponents with ease.

The villagers keep on fighting as it seems more men are pouring into the village, but soon they gain the upper hand and Kanen's numbers dwindle. A fair few of the cowards even started to retreat while some of the village people chased after them.

Finally, Kanen is the only bandit left in the village. He bellows for Arthur and they face each other in one final dual. Everyone stands aside, watching. While Kanen is strong and nimble on his feet, the prince is stronger and faster. Kanen's too slow with guarding his right side and Arthur uses this to his advantage. He parries an attack, blocks another, and then runs Kanen through. The man falls to the ground, seemingly dead.

The prince notices that Will had joined them and starts walking toward the boy and his servant. With his back turned to his last enemy, he does not see Kanen reach for a crossbow.

But Morgana, though quite a distance away, does see. She quickly grabs a dagger from Estella's hip and throws it at Kanen. The blade slices through the air and hits him, puncturing his jugular. He chokes on his blood and dies a second later with the crossbow in his hand.

And Arthur again is struck by Morgana's skill with weaponry.

* * *

"So you're leaving again?"

Merlin nods to Will, "Mother's orders."

The other boy pats his magical friend's shoulder while looking to Estella and Morgana. "Say, what if I come with you. We both could chase after those pretty noblewomen there."

The warlock laughs. "Estella dislikes you Will, well… actually she almost hates you for what you said to her cousin. And Morgana… she's spoken for."

Will is perplexed for a second, but when he sees the prince walk to the Lady and gently puts his hand on her shoulder, the answer is clear. "Ah…"

"And your place is here." Merlin adds, "I need you to look after my mother."

His friend then sighs, knowing that he would say this, "Yeah, alright." They hug each other goodbye, "I'll miss you." And Merlin returns the sentiment.

* * *

The seven young people ride out of Ealdor and onto the road toward Camelot. Nothing that happened in the village is discussed just yet – those talks shall be left for later.

When they reach the border, Estella bids her cousins well-wishes and farewells as she, Sir Ethan, and Lancelot continue on along Camelot's border to Caerleon.

"She'll be back sooner than she claims," Morgana says to Arthur.

The prince smiles to the Lady, "Isn't she always?" She returns his expression. When the three figures begin to fade from the horizon, the prince, the ward, and their servants ride toward the citadel.

* * *

**Author's Note: Thanks for reading and please review. **


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note: Thank you all my readers for the reviews, follows, and favorites, to Azar443 for being such an incredible FF confidante, reviewer, and twin, and AndyAiden for everything! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin.**

* * *

The Labyrinth of Gedref

Gwen walks from her house with a bucket to fetch some water. Rumors have been spreading throughout the lower town about the crops, but the maid has not been to see Morgana yet to confirm this.

As she sets down the bucket, she sees Merlin and calls for him. "Is it true what they're saying about the crops? They're all dead?"

"Afraid so," he tells her solemnly, "We may have to start tightening our belts."

She gives him a small smile. "I'm sure you will think of something."

And the warlock cannot help but grin back at her as he walks toward the castle. "Thanks for your confidence."

After him being so tense in Ealdor, the young girl is relieved to see her friend return to his normal self… well as normal as he can be in this situation. Gwen starts pumping for water, but only dry sand comes out.

She yells for Merlin and when he sees only sand coming out instead of water he quickly races to Gaius.

* * *

Morgana lays on her bed reading a book when she suddenly feels a chill run up her spine. She recognizes the feeling, it has happened so many times before, but she cannot recall what it means and yet she knows that it does mean something _important_.

The Lady closes the book and rises from the mattress. Going over to her window, she sees Arthur and Merlin standing in the main square. Something seems to have caught their attention, though, as they suddenly race towards the courtyard corridor.

She has half a mind to go out and follow them, but there's a curfew due to the famine and drought and extra guards stationed at her door. It's Arthur's fault, of course. He insisted that in case the looters somehow made it into the palace, the guards will be here to ensure no harm comes to her.

Even with her constant assurance that she can take care of herself and he has admitted – albeit begrudgingly – that Estella has trained her quite well and she's become quite skillful with a sword, he's still not taking any chances.

The Lady shakes her head; he's even more protective than before. They didn't bring up their kiss in Ealdor – they know why it happened, they know what it meant – it's unnecessary.

However, the two have continued on as they used to (denial may be able to only go so far, but when it ends, the transition takes time). Except the prince is much more attentive to her safety and whereabouts throughout the day and he casually touches her more freely now. Their biting remarks, sarcasm, and bickering has lessen also.

When there are no other signs of activity outside, Morgana returns to bed, dismissing all thoughts of her and Arthur and tries to sleep.

* * *

Estella stands in the training grounds of Caerleon clad in her armor, her raven hair pulled back into a knot, and her sword on her hip. In front of her, the knights are in pairs sparring, but she barely notices them. Her foot is unconsciously tapping on the ground while she contemplates what Elaine is planning.

The duchess had arrived home to learn that her uncle's ward had decided to take a visit to Camelot. Of course, she requested to go alone without the presence of "unpleasant, useless company." The woman snorts, _'She simply doesn't want me to foil whatever it is she is trying to do.'_

A page comes to her and interrupts her thoughts. He bows, "Lord Agravaine commands that you dine with him this evening," the boy tells her, "He says it's urgent."

The woman's face hardens and she gives the page a curt nod, "Very well then. Thank you Griflet, you may go." The boy quickly bows and leaves to go about fulfilling his other duties.

And Estella returns to the position he interrupted, except now she contemplating what Elaine _and_ Agravaine are up to.

When the sun begins to set, she dismisses her knights and goes to her uncle.

**...**

"_Bastard_," Estella hisses under her breath as she slams the door to her uncle's solar.

She can ignore the fact that he loves his ward more than he love his family, she tolerate that he is a truant and that he will bring in a few whores to please him in the middle of a conversation with her, but to actually think that he can _command_ her to do anything?

She's no longer a child – she'll be twenty-three in two months, she is the High Duchess of Caerleon – not that the title really matters to her, and she is a Le Fay – having magic alone sets her above Agravaine. However, the man insists that since she is his niece, she must do as he orders.

Estella huffs in frustration and aggravation once more as she stomps down the corridor. If she wants to go about "dallying in the forests with men" then she damn well can. His own ward is so much worse than she and yet Elaine is put upon a pedestal as if she is a goddess fallen from Olympus.

As she rounds a corner, she's met with said woman standing haughtily in an orange robe fashioned to show more skin than is appropriate. Her hair is twisted up about her head and laurel leaves twisted in the strands. The woman is also staring predatorily at Lancelot.

The duchess narrows her eyes, "What are you doing?"

Elaine turns to Estella and grin superiorly. "Why, dear Lancelot and I were just about to retire to his chambers." She looks back to the man, "Isn't that right, Lancelot?"

The man in question simply begins to stutter as his eyes shift wildly between the two women, before he can articulate any words though, Estella intercedes.

"I don't think that Sir Lancelot would _ever_ want to go near that infestation between your legs," she signals for her knight to leave and he quickly does. The duchess then walks past the other woman, following Lancelot to her chambers.

Elaine sneers, "You can't have every man in the world!"

_'Really is that the best she can do?'_ Estella smirks, "No, but I can certainly try!" the slamming of her door muffles the other Lady's response.

She turns to see Lancelot fidgeting at the center of the room. He bows his head in respect, "my Lady."

The woman nods and walks to her table. "Remove your armor."

The man is taken aback, "my Lady?"

"That was an order Lancelot, just the chainmail and gambeson." The duchess starts to take her own chainmail off.

Unsettled with the situation, the knight reluctantly does as his mistress commands. When she is finished, she turns to him.

He shifts from one foot to another, "Duchess Estella, I-"

"Please don't say anything," she then walks up to him and stand a foot away. Despite her usual confident stride and demeanor, she actually looks uncomfortable, as well, "My apologies for Elaine and… this."

Before Lancelot can respond, Estella throws her arms around his shoulders and embraces him tightly. They both are still, the man in utter confusion, the woman in determination. The knight is tempted to throw her off of him. She may be almost as tall as him, but he is mostly likely stronger. After a moment, however, the duchess releases him, but then claws her fingers through his brown hair – her long, sharp nails occasionally scratching his scalp. When she is satisfied with the state of his hair, she then proceeds to putting her thumb and index finger at the left side of his neck and pinches him harshly.

Lancelot cries out and jumps back. Rubbing the sore spot on his neck, "My Lady, have I caused you any offense?"

She shakes her head. "No, it is not that and I _did_ apologize for this," she gestures to him, indicating the treatment she just gave him. "This is for your own good." Estella pauses. "Elaine is like a predator, she will stalk her prey until she has her fill of it and _you_ have become her newest prey." The man bristles at the knowledge. "However, now she is going to think that you are mine – due to my scent lingering on you, the ruffled hair, and that bruise that shall have pass as a love mark – and she doesn't touch any man I have taken. Fearful of some 'disease' I must have, I suppose." The woman then proceeds to remove her boots and let down her wavy hair. "Now, I'm not doing this _ever_ again, so listen careful."

Hefina then enters the room carrying some towels, "My Lady, your bath is ready."

Estella looks very much relieved (she is just as uncomfortable as Lancelot, she is just better at hiding it), "If you would then Hefina, explain to Lancelot, please." Her maid is aware of what she means as her mistress goes into her antechambers.

The fair-haired woman turns to the knight. "I apologize on Duchess Estella's behalf if she made you uncomfortable. She was fearful that you would be opposed to the idea so she decided to be forward with her plan to protect you."

Lancelot nods slowly. "It's alright; I simply was extremely confused."

Hefina gives him a wry smile. "Trust me, she only wants to keep Elaine away from you, she has no intentions of actually taking you to her bed, no offense." He smiles softly to indicate there is none taken. "Well then, here are your instructions: you are to come here whenever I call you and you are to put this," she picks up a small bottle of perfume, "On your skin and clothes, make sure you rumple it in, makes it look more believable, then ruffled your hair and pinch at your neck as she has done."

"Thank you, umm… May I go to my chambers now?" Lancelot feels suddenly foolish for sounding like a child and asking a handmaiden permission to leave, well the duchess _is_ absent.

She chuckles for a moment, "Have a bit of wine first," Hefina hands him a goblet, "It adds to the effect and will calm your nerves." After he has finished that, he is handed his gambeson and chainmail. "Just carry it. Ethan is waiting outside to walk with you in case you encounter Elaine again."

Lancelot nods his thanks and quickly leaves the room. He never expected to go through all of _this_ when he first became a Knight of Caerleon.

* * *

After Arthur sends Merlin home and sets guards to keep watch over the grain, he returns to his chambers with. He's surprised when he sees Morgana standing by the window.

Arthur asks, "What are doing here?"

"You still haven't told me what's going on," she answers. Only he, the king, Gaius, Merlin, and the Council know what the situation truly is. The knights, the court, and the people were not told anything, simply to ration food and preserve water. Uther and Gaius refused to tell her anything, so she has come to Arthur.

The prince exhales while unbuckling his sword belt. "You should be asleep-" he starts, but then recalls something, "How did you even get in here, I have guards at your door?"

She smirks, "Estella has taught me a few more things than the arts of combat."

Arthur balks at that statement, wondering if he's imagining the tone that suggests an underlying meaning. _'Has Estella…?'_ The prince shakes his head; he is _not_ going to finish that thought. Especially since Morgana is here… in his candlelit chambers… at night… in her nightgown… He clears his throat, his mouth dry from thirst and something else he's trying to ignore.

Steeling himself, he sits down and then begins to recount the tale of the unicorn he killed, the sorcerer named Anhora who told him that he cursed Camelot by the killing the creature, the tests that he will apparently be put through, and finally the thief that he allowed to have a sack of grain.

Morgana was silent as Arthur spoke, when he finishes, she speaks. "You don't believe in the curse." She knows him and he's not the superstitious type.

Arthur scoffs, "Of course not, the idea is absolutely ridiculous. I would never bring suffering upon my own people."

"I know," she pauses, "But sometimes, our actions cause consequences that we never intend to happen."

He looks up at her, "Since when do you worry about consequences?"

Morgana shakes her head. "This isn't about _me_, Arthur, it's you. Whether you believe in the curse or not, whether it is real or not, the famine and drought _are_ real. All this may be a coincidence, but then again it may not be."

"Morgana, please, not you, too." He's had enough of Merlin constantly saying this to him.

She gives him a stern look. "Just listen to me. The thief's last words, _"this will bring its own reward"_ it has to mean _something_."

He sighs, "Morgana…"

Of course, she didn't expect him to believe what she is speculating, but still let it be in his mind. She places her hand on his shoulder. "Just consider it."

Arthur is silent as he puts his hand on hers. "It's late, you should go to sleep." He softly kisses her knuckles; she caresses his cheek and then leaves him to his thoughts.

* * *

The drought has miraculously ended, but famine has not. There are people coming into the citadel and adding more to those already queuing outside the grain store. Morgana walks among them with Arthur.

"Who are they?" she asks, indicating the new arrivals.

The prince glances sideways at her. "They've come from the outlying villages in search of food." He sighs. "There's not enough rations to feed the people who are already here."

The Lady looks at him sympathetically. "Don't blame yourself." She takes his hand. "I know you're doing everything you can."

Arthur gives her soft smile and squeezes her fingers. "It is not enough, though." He lets go of her hand and goes to check on the guard as Gwen approaches Morgana.

"Did you manage to find any food?" the Lady asks her friend. Gwen discreetly pulls a cloth back from her basket revealing some bread. "Where did you get that?"

"I was able to smuggle it out of the palace kitchens." She answers.

Morgana nods. "Share it out amongst the children and elder people." The younger woman begins to do so and she adds, "Make it go as far as you can."

The Lady then goes to help share water and blankets amongst the people.

* * *

That night, Arthur sits sulking in his chair while Merlin pours some meat stew into a bowl.

"Lost my appetite," He says glumly.

"You have to eat something." Merlin insists.

"I can't." The prince shakes his head, "Not while my people are starving." He pauses, remembering his conversation with Morgana the night before. She hadn't said it outright, but he knew what she meant – that the thief stealing the grain was a test. He allowed the man to have the grain and today the water returned, so there is a possibility that she could be right. Making his decision he says to Merlin, "We're going to the forest, first thing in the morning. Maybe we can pick up Anhora's trail, whatever it takes."

The servant looks amazed to hear that. "What changed your mind?"

Arthur straightens in his chair, "Something Morgana said." Merlin silently laughs, he should've known.

His master, he knows, is an honorable man with a dutiful mind, who always follows the orders of his father and the rules of court. His cousin seems to be the same, but then there is Morgana, who is truly a free spirit, unchained by any rules of office, and reveling in her ability to speak out against decisions that she disagrees with. But she probably knows Arthur better than anyone, challenging him with the possibility that he could be a better, more compassionate ruler than his father and, despite the outward dismissal that Arthur often gives her arguments, Merlin knows that Arthur's spirits is always lifted when he has Morgana's approval.

The prince gives his servant a look, "What?"

Merlin shakes his head, "Nothing, you should eat. You won't be able to help anyone if you're too weak to pass the test." He then walks to put the pot on an adjacent table.

Arthur takes a bite and his brow immediately furrows. "What kind of meat is this?" Merlin slowly turns back. "It has a very strange texture."

Keeping a straight face, the warlock answers, "It's pork."

The prince shakes his head, "This isn't pork. It's far too stringy. What is it? It's, erm..." As he stirs the stew, a realization comes to him. Looking up at Merlin, "It's rat, isn't it?"

The younger man presses his lips together and nods. "Try not to think about it." He advises.

Arthur puts down his spoon and deeply drinks water, hoping to take away the texture of the meat. Merlin approaches him, "Look at me, I'm being rude." His tone is colored with sarcasm, "Here I am, stuffing my face with this _delicious_ stew when you're hungry, too." Getting up from his chair, "Come on. Take a seat." Arthur forces Merlin down into the chair and commands him to eat.

The warlock closes his eyes and takes a bite, forcing himself to chew and swallow. He begins to shake as he prepares to take another bite the prince helps him a bit. Merlin holds his fist against his mouth, trying desperately not spit out the meat. "It's actually pretty tasty." He says with the meat clenched between his teeth.

"Well, I'm glad you like it. Because..." Arthur fetches the pot of stew, "...there's plenty more."

There is a knock at the door and Merlin is almost relieved. The prince calls for whoever it is to enter and the door opens. Arthur turns around and his eyes seem to light up, "Morgana?"

"I hate to ask," she starts hesitantly, "But I was wondering if you had anything to eat." She had Gwen take all the food she had to give to the people, ignoring the fact that she has barely eaten a thing in three days.

Arthur pauses, contemplating whether it is the best idea or not to give her the stew. Merlin smiles knowing what he is thinking.

Before the prince answers Morgana speaks again. "I don't like that look, Merlin."

The servant immediately stops smiling, "I don't know what you mean, Lady Morgana."

She narrows her eyes and steps into the room, shutting the door and catching sight of the stew. "What is that?"

"Something to eat," Arthur tells her.

She gives him a dry look, "Really, what is it?"

The prince roughly puts his hand on Merlin's shoulder, "Go on Merlin tell her."

The dark-haired boy winces, "It's rat."

The Lady cringes, "While that is rather inventive-"

"It's disgusting," Arthur intercedes.

Before anyone can say anything further, there is another knock at the door. "Yes?" the prince calls.

Sir Leon enters; he bows to Morgana and then addresses Arthur, "A letter from Caerleon, Sire." The prince takes the letter, breaks the seal, and begins to read.

His face darkens. "What is it?" Morgana asks with concern.

"I sent word to Estella about the famine; she reported that her duchy is not cursed and promised to send us extra provisions." He crumbles the parchment. "The company was attacked, Sir Ethan was the only survivor and Agravaine refuses to send another party. He's had the duchy sealed from anyone leaving and entering until our problems are over with."

Arthur tosses the letter into the fire and everyone is silent as the parchment burns.

* * *

Morgana gasps in her sleep as her dreams continue to haunt her. She sees images of the people of Camelot – all of them crawling in the streets, dying of starvation, thirst, and sickness. She sees the city burning, the knights being cut down one by one. The flames surround her, burn her, but then everything turns black… save for a twinkling light ahead.

She approaches it cautiously. When she is close enough, she sees that it is a silver key floating in the darkness. Morgana turns the key and images start to flood her mind.

Her body begins to tremble and thrash as she sees two identical, dark-haired women with emerald eyes, a young Estella standing before her, her usually gray eyes glowing amber, her own young self prancing through the forest as flower petals dance around her magically… magic, the very thing her guardian despises, the very thing she suspects herself of possessing, the very thing (she now remembers) that flows in her veins – magic.

Morgana opens her eyes and starts up from the mattress. In the darkness, she catches sight of her reflection and her amber glowing eyes begin to fade back to crystal green.

She leans back against the pillows, struggling to breathe while pushing her sweat-soaked hair out of her face.

A sound in her chambers makes her jump. Near her window, stands one of the women she saw in her mind, "Mother."

Vivienne walks over to her daughter and puts her hand to the younger woman's clammy forehead. "Are you alright?" Morgana nods. "The memories hit you at full force, but you won't be able to recall them all for awhile."

She looks at her mother, "Why did you do it? Why did you take all my memories of who I am and lock them in my mind for over half a decade?"

The older woman looks pained. "I had to, my love, to protect you."

Morgana pulls away. "So I can be left to suffer not knowing what I truly am and fearing for my life as I live under the roof of a man who hates magic?"

Shaking her head, "No, Estella was supposed to be here when this happened, but her magic only strengthen the barrier in your mind, so she had to be away."

Tears prick at the corners of Morgana's eyes. "Estella, she… she knew… and she ne-"

"She couldn't tell you, because you wouldn't understand until the barrier was broken and she couldn't break barrier because it was not her magic that put it up." Vivienne stares her daughter down with her emerald. "Don't blame your cousin. If you want to hate someone, you may hate me, my child. But Estella is faultless, she was against this."

Morgana looks away, "I need to be alone." Vivienne leaves with the howl of the harsh, cold wind. The Lady pulls her covers around her shoulders, unsure and confused of everything in her life now.

* * *

Estella silently walks through the forest in search of the Keeper of the Unicorns. She does not need to be here, she knows that Merlin is on his way for the exact same purpose as she. But she needed to get out. Her Uncle Agravaine truly put Caerleon under lock and key. No one enters and no leaves, everyone stays in their homes or chambers and only the guards roam the streets to ensure this.

The duchess was able to sneak out of the castle through a secret passageway hidden within her chambers. No one knows of it, except for her mother, her aunt, and… _him_. She presses her fingers to her temples, trying to dispel these forbidden thoughts that have come to her ever since that encounter.

Really, she thought (hoped) that she buried all these emotions that relate to _him_ in any way. He meant nothing; he means nothing… and yet their meeting in the Forests of Essetir… She can't but wonder if _he_ recognized _her_ at all. She really had not been paying attention. For her part, she was just keen to get away.

Doing her hardest to push all this to the back of her mind, Estella thinks back to her uncle, she could have stopped him from decreeing the lockdown, she is the Duchess her word overrules his… but for her 'defiance' Agravaine would have made the people suffer and she could not have that.

She kicks the ground in frustration. Even with her title and power, she is still nothing. Her knights and Hefina are the only ones with true loyalty to her in Caerleon. Elaine she could not count on (most definitely not), her uncle only keeps her so he can laze around while she does the work for the duchy, the common folk do not really know her but they have nothing against, the courtiers and guard, however, only follow her in public, but they do not accept her – she is, of course, Tristan de Bois' bastard daughter, legitimized but a bastard nonetheless and a female one at that.

And this is why Vivienne and Valeria escaped court life. They are illegitimate children as well. But they were sired at Beltane, in the time when the Old Religion ruled and illegitimacy and gender were not restrictions. And so their early life was easier, even if they had to adjust to the ways of the non-magical folk. The time around Estella's birth came to mark the beginning of the Old Religion's deterioration. The Le Fay twins lost their place in this world Estella tries to live in and again she wonders if she should take their path instead of the one she's trying to carve herself.

"My, my," she looks up to see Anhora standing before her, "How you've grown, young Le Fay."

Estella takes a deep breath. "I'm sorry; I am not here for pleasantries. I know that you do not want see people suffer, so I have come to ask for a second chance for Arthur. He is many things, but he is not one to put the blame on someone, he accepts that he is responsible for the curse and will do whatever it takes to lift it."

The sorcerer looks at her keenly. "You have great faith in Arthur."

"Of course I do, he's my cousin, my family." Her gray eyes gleam like sunlight reflecting off the steel of a sword.

"Very well then, young Le Fay. Arthur must go to the Labyrinth of Gedref. There, he will face a final test. If he fails, there is no hope. The curse will destroy Camelot." Estella nods and Anhora disappears.

Merlin then charges from his hiding place where he witnessed the whole exchange, yelling, "Wait! What kind of test will he face?"

"That is for Arthur to find out." Estella answers. The warlock looks to her in an almost pleading and curious way. "Go on, I know you were listening to the whole thing. Tell my cousin everything, but do not mention me. There isn't much time, _go_."

Merlin nods and races back to Camelot.

* * *

"You're not coming." The golden-haired man says firmly. "I brought this curse upon Camelot. I'm gonna be the one to lift it, or die trying."

"Alright, how does you dying help anyone?" the servant retorts.

Arthur is taken aback for a moment. "I'll… die knowing I did everything I can."

"I'm coming with you." Merlin reiterates.

The door opening interrupts Arthur. "_We're_ coming with you."

The prince looks at the Lady dressed in a tunic and breeches incredulously. "Morgana, what the hell are you doing?"

She rolls her eyes. "Arthur, the last time you went on a mission alone you nearly didn't come back. I don't think Camelot will risk that again."

"And so the First Lady should be the one risking her life?"She narrows her eyes for his sarcasm. "How do you even know where I'm going?" Her eyes shift to Merlin and back to Arthur. The prince catches the action. He turns on his servant, "You told her?!"

Merlin defends himself, "She confronted me for information!"

Arthur sighs, frustrated, "Morgana, Merlin, you are to stay here, and help the people as best you can."

He walks swiftly to the door, but Morgana catches his arm, "Arthur-"

"Morgana, it's already my fault that my kingdom is suffering." He shakes his head, "I don't need it to be my fault if anything happens to you too." Arthur kisses her lips quickly and storms out the door.

Merlin and Morgana are stunned for a moment, the Lady from the kiss and the warlock from the sight of it. Reality catches up though. The woman looks at the servant, "Aren't we going to follow him?"

The dark-haired boy nods and they both race to the stables.

* * *

Merlin and Morgana cautiously enter the labyrinth, the latter with her sword held tightly. There were just behind Arthur the whole trip, but now they have lost him. Every way, they choose, they end up at a dead end and must turn back around.

When the two round a corner, they come across Anhora with a sword.

While Morgana stands poised to attack, Merlin speaks up, "You said Arthur would face a test. And here you are, preparing a trap for him."

"The trap isn't for Arthur. It is for you." The sorcerer points his sword straight at the young warlock, "_Gehæftan."_

Merlin is wrapped in vines from the labyrinth hedges. "Let him go," Morgana demands, pointing her blade at Anhora.

"I have no intentions of harming him, my Lady," the elder man tells the woman.

She inches closer to Merlin, "Then why trap him? And what of me?" The sorcerer does not seem to be trying to make any move against her.

"I have no quarrel with you. You will soon discover the reason for the boy's entrapment."

**...**

Arthur continues to run through the labyrinth until he comes to the exit. He starts walking on the shore and finds Merlin sitting at a table with Morgana and Anhora standing nearby.

The prince's heart quickens when his eyes spot Morgana. Looking at the sorcerer "Let them go. I'll take your test, but not till they are released."

The elder man answers calm, "The Lady Morgana is here of her own free will, I cannot force her from here if that is not her wish, however, Merlin is part of the test." He gestures to the empty chair, "Please sit. If you refuse the test, you will have failed and Camelot will be destroyed."

The prince takes a seat, "Let's get on with it."

"There are two goblets before you. One of the goblets contains a deadly poison, the other goblet, a harmless liquid. All the liquid from both goblets must be drunk, but each of you may only drink from a single goblet."

The Lady looks at Anhora with worry, but Arthur only appears confused and demands. "What kind of ridiculous test is that? What does that prove?"

"What it proves is for you to decide. If you pass the test, the curse will be lifted." He answers. Glancing at Morgana, "I'm sorry, my Lady, but you are not part of the test, so you may not speak. If you interfere, Camelot will suffer."

And so she helplessly watches and listens as Merlin and Arthur discuss back and forth what to do. Her memories are still coming back to her in sleeping and waking moments. All of the sudden, she sees Arthur drink from a goblet and falls off the chair, unconscious.

She and Merlin run to him at the same time, shouting his name, despairingly.

Anhora comes to their side, "He is not dead. He's merely consumed a sleeping draught. He will come round shortly." The two look at the Keeper bewilderedly and so he explains, "A unicorn is pure of heart. If you kill one, you must make amends by proving that you also are pure of heart. Arthur was willing to sacrifice his life to save yours, Merlin. He has proven what is truly in his heart. The curse will be lifted."

* * *

Arthur lays the unicorn's horn in a burial mound of stones. "I should never have ended your life. I'm sorry."Morgana her hand on his shoulder and they share a soft smile.

The two of them and Merlin begin laying stones over the grave. The latter looks up and sees a unicorn.

"Morgana, Arthur..." the two look toward the direction he is looking. Sure enough, a few feet away, stands the majestic creature.

An old saying that she and Arthur read in a book comes to mind, _"When he who kills a unicorn proves himself to be pure of heart, the unicorn will live again." _

The prince and his Lady share another smile, as Merlin watches the unicorn seemingly bow to the two and then walk away.

* * *

**Author's Note: Thanks for reading, please review.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note: Thank you for the reviews, follows, and favorites, Azar443 and her amazing self and especially AndyAiden for all her help! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin.**

* * *

To Kill a King

Morgana is roaming the halls of the castle in the night. She finds that this is most comforting and helps her to think. Gradually, she's put her memories of magic back into place. All the times she learned about magic, all the times she used her magic, her Le Fay family history – everything her mother blocked and kept away in her mind. And then when she recalled them for a time so that she could help save Arthur from Sophia, but only to have them put away again. But at that time she was not concerned with her memories or magic, it was Arthur's life.

What frustrates her most is the one thing she cannot remember… or perhaps she does not know: why Vivienne had done this. Why had her mother seen fit to trap away her memories and not Estella's? They are both the same, what makes her so different from her cousin that she had to grow up not knowing what she is? At present, she has not a single idea for her mother's reason. Morgana has not tried to contact her mother, aunt, or cousin, and they have done the same to her (they are waiting for her to be ready to talk).

The Lady's feelings towards her mother are that of anger and resentment because of what she has done. She is indifferent to her aunt for as far as she knows, Valeria was not involved in this, but to her cousin… she cannot bring herself to blame her. Not because of her mother's words, but rather the history she shares with her cousin. Estella never faulted Morgana for anything no matter what she did and she had always returned the favor to her elder cousin, this time is no different, in spite of the circumstances.

Suddenly, she feels a rush of energy. Morgana knows now what she's felt every time she gets this feeling: magic. The presence of it nearby always sets off her senses. However, there are few who could sense her unless she wants them to or her magic is out of her control. This is due to the rune burned beneath her skin that every Le Fay bears and can give, but only to those worthy.

Hearing heavy footsteps, she hides within an alcove. The Lady sees guards leading Tom the blacksmith to the dungeons. She catches sight of Arthur and, putting her own problems aside, decides to follow him to see the king.

Neither of the two, nor the guards notices the newest guest in Camelot in the shadows, looking pleased at the sight of the arrest.

**...**

Morgana cannot believes what she's hearing, "Treason?!"

"Yes, treason, the blacksmith was consorting with a known enemy." Uther informs her.

"What enemy?" she demands.

"Tauren," Arthur answers, "The leader of a band of renegade sorcerers sworn to bring down the king."

"And where is this Tauren now?" She questions.

The prince hangs his head at the look his father gives him, "He escaped."

The Lady walks over to Arthur, "Well, then how can you be sure?"

"Because Arthur saw him with his own eyes," the king immediately intervenes.

"Well, even if the man is who you say he is, you can't sentence Tom to death for just being _seen _with him!?" the Lady enounces.

The king looks at his ward sternly, "We have reason to believe he was forging weapons for Tauren."

"He would _never_ do such a thing," Morgana defends.

"Every man has a price." Uther glances at his son.

Arthur slides a lump of gold across the table toward Morgana, "Found this on the blacksmith."

"So he was paid! He's a blacksmith. He could've been paid for shoeing Tauren's horse!" The king is still not swayed, so Morgana turns to Arthur.

"Arthur have nothing to say?" her sea green eyes pleading him.

The prince hesitates, but then speaks. "Father, the blacksmith committed a crime, but we don't know for certain he meant treason."

"You're right. Nothing's certain." Uther then turns back to his son and ward, "Save one thing. The law _stands_ or this kingdom _falls_."

"But the law must give him a fair trial." the Lady reasons.

"He'll get a fair trial, and he'll be found guilty, because that's what he is." The king declares to her.

Morgana tries to calm her temper, but all the anger she has stored, because of her mother and now Uther, is threatening to break free. With finality, she proclaims, "You execute Gwen's father, and I will _never_ forgive you." And she storms out of the room, not seeing Arthur staring after her with worry.

* * *

The next morning, Morgana wakes early to go to visit Gwen at her home. She can only imagine what her friend is going through. However, on her way down, a loud screech echoes through the corridors.

She rolls her eyes, knowing that it is Lady Elaine, Lord Agravaine's ward, come from Caerleon about three weeks ago for a visit. And every time she comes, all the servants stay on their toes, knowing full well how demanding the woman is.

Ignoring the other Lady, Morgana continues on her way. But when she reaches the house, no one is there. So, she then goes to check Tom's forge for her friend.

As the ward looks around, Morgana sees a leather bag on the floor of the forge. She picks it up and pulls out a stone with silver claws around it, it starts glow in her hands. The magical essence, she recognizes from the night before.

Quickly, she leaves the forge and Morgana takes the stone to her chambers to hide away. She then goes to see Merlin, suspecting that Gwen would be with him.

The Lady opens the door to see Arthur's servant standing over hers with a perplexed expression on his face as he gently strokes the dark-skinned girl's hair, "Merlin."

He immediately jumps back with reddened cheek, "Morgana?"

She offers him a soft smile as she asks with concern, "How is she?"

The dark-haired boy replies, "She's doing okay."

Morgana goes over to her maid and gently places her hand on her shoulder. Without looking at Merlin, she tells him, "Take care of her."

The warlock nods while watching Gwen sleep, "Of course."

The Lady then quickly leaves before Merlin can ask about Uther.

* * *

Morgana damns her misfortune. She had hoped to sneak into Arthur's chambers, find the key to Tom's cell, and get it to him. However, while she achieved the first task, the last two could not be done. She could not find any of the keys to the dungeon. She suspects that the prince is keeping them all with him.

It's late in the night, approaching morning, but she cannot sleep, so she decided to leave the city for a few hours. Estella has always said that it is calming to walk about aimlessly amidst the trees.

Now, she is settled on a boulder by a small stream, listening to the water flow over rock and thinking over everything: Gwen, Tom, Uther, her visions, her magic, her mother… all of this is hard for her to handle, especially since she is by herself. If Estella were here, she would have someone to help her. She does not want her mother or her aunt; even though she can feel that they are close.

It is a blessing at least, that her magic is remaining dormant (for now). Her memory was blocked through Valeria's spell that fed off of Morgana's own magic to keep it at bay. Now, the memories are back and the magic that is ever present is slowly tormenting her to use it. But she cannot use it, she is in a land where being what she is, is a crime in itself.

Rubbing her fingers against her temples, Morgana contemplates whether she should call for Estella. The sound of the warning bells breaks the thought. She panics, thinking that Arthur or someone else discovered her missing and decided to start a search.

She rushes back to Camelot, but before she gets there, the bells stop and she dismisses the thought of the prince or anyone learning that she was gone. Creeping at the side of the palace, she hears wails of grief.

The Lady sees Gwen crying out for her father as the guards take his body away on a cart. She puts the pieces together: somehow, Tom tried to escape in the night, but was caught and killed on sight. Aside from the empathy she feels for her maid, her anger is rising again; she enters the castle and goes to Uther.

**...**

The king calls for the guards and they grab Morgana and drag her to the dungeons. She struggles against them, but in physical strength, they are stronger than her. On their way down the stairs, she sees Lady Elaine; the older woman smiles darkly at Morgana, while mockingly waving to her. The guards force the ward into a large prison cell and chain her to the wall.

Uther stands at the door, "And you will remain here until you learn your lesson."

The young woman struggles against her restraints, "Then release me because I've learned it already! That you care not for me, or anyone but yourself! That you're driven mad with power! That you're a tyrant!"

The king narrows his eyes as the guards back away and leave, their king following them, locking the door behind him while Morgana continues to struggle, trying to free herself. Her mind unconsciously calls out for Estella and while she can feel her younger cousin's distress, the duchess is too far away to hear her and she cannot leave her duchy to help Morgana.

* * *

Lancelot examines his reflection in Estella's mirror. "Is this still necessary, my Lady? Elaine _is_ in Camelot…"

The duchess does not look up from her desk as she reviews the pieces of parchment before her while her knee is shaking and she twirls a dagger in her hand. "When she catches a whiff of our ruse – which she will no matter where so she is – then she'll immediately come after you."

There is a knock at the door which Hefina answers and invites Sir Ethan in. The flaxen-haired man smiles at his lover and then bows to the duchess, "my Lady."

She still doesn't look up, "Ethan."

The knight puts down a piece of parchment on the corner of her desk, "A letter from Camelot."

Ethan then moves back to Hefina's side where she stands at Estella's shelves.

"I thought we established no canoodling in my chambers," the raven-haired woman says bluntly with a hint of irritation.

Lancelot turns around from the dining table to see Hefina looking down with a red face. Ethan has his arms behind his back and his flushed face turned away from the fair-haired girl. The dark-haired knight looks to the duchess to see her gray eyes stormily set downward.

"And do not apologize, just don't let it happen again," she adds.

The maid then signals for Ethan to leave and he hastily does so. Ignoring Lancelot, who wondering if his mistress is alright.

"What is it, my Lady?" the maid asks.

The duchess roughly puts down her dagger. She pinches the bridge of her nose and sighs heavily. She needs to get to Camelot – she needs to get to Morgana. Not only are her memories back, but her magic is steadily growing and eventually it will be too much for her to handle without the proper guidance and training. And now, Morgana stays trapped and chained in the dungeons while she cannot reach her. Agravaine would retaliate on her sudden departure, so all she can do is sit and hope that Arthur will secure Morgana's freedom.

"Nothing you need concern yourself with." Estella responds tiredly.

The servant dares to broach this subject, "Is it Gwaine?"

Her mistress cringes, "I thought we agreed never to speak that name again." The fair-haired girl stiffens at the venomous tone. "It is late; the both of you need your sleep."

Lancelot and Hefina bow to Estella and quickly leave her while her eyes glare at the hidden compartment of her desk, the one secret _he_ didn't know about, because it held everything that is _his_ in it.

* * *

Arthur and Merlin walk down the corridor from the prince's chambers. It is quiet and the atmosphere is somber. Merlin is not one for silence and he does have a question to ask, so he speaks up, "Will you need anything else this morning, Sire?"

The golden-haired man turns to his servant, "No, why?"

"I need to go see Guinevere, she's waiting for me in my room," he answers after a moment.

Arthur stops and then nods, "Of course, let her know that her job is secure and her house is hers. I have to go see Morgana." She has been distant lately, ever since they came back from burying the unicorn's horn and Elaine's arrival.

Merlin then smiles slightly, "I'm sure."

The prince, seeing the gleam in the younger boy's eyes, punches his shoulder, "Stop smiling."

Sniveling laughter interrupts Merlin's response. Elaine walks down the corridor, in an extravagant golden gown that is almost blinding. Her demeanor is completely opposite to that of everyone else.

"Quite cheerful, in this dark time, aren't we?" Arthur (disapprovingly) questions the woman.

She smiles coyly at the time. "The sun is shining brilliantly and there is no sigh of rain, so pray tell, how is it dark?"

Merlin narrows his eyes at the woman, but says nothing. "There was recently a death, Elaine," Arthur replies.

The woman shrugs, "He was no one to me as he was no one to you, Arthur."

"It does not mean you shouldn't give respect to those he was important and who are grieving for him."

She is still unimpressed and uninterested in the talk of the blacksmith. But her eyes twinkle in that predatory way that should signal for one to flee (and Arthur has gotten this look from her many times). "Do you know the best way to handle grief?" she prepares herself to pounce on him, but he dodges her.

"I'm sure you have your ways, but I have mine, if you will excuse, I have to go see the Lady Morgana." He turns toward the direction of her chambers.

In outrage, she spits out, "Well, you are going the wrong way, then."

Arthur turns around, "Pardon?"

"She's in the dungeons," Elaine says casually while shrugging.

The prince stares at the Lady, "Why?"

"Well, the king put her there, of course. I suspect that that mouth of hers has gotten her in trouble again." The woman sounds almost pleased.

A quick glance at his servant and then Arthur is striding purposefully to his father.

The older woman gives his back a sour look. "For the life of me, I will never understand the appeal of Morgana... and Estella for that matter, there is truly nothing special about them."

Merlin gives Elaine a look. He would refute that comment, but Gwen has warned him to stay away from the ward of Lord Agravaine. Really, Morgana and must be women coveted by just about every man in the land. With regard to Morgana, Merlin himself was one of them. Until he realized that someone else harbored greater feelings for the noblewoman and he held truer feelings for another, as well. And there was also Estella and her confrontations about Merlin, his magic, his knowledge of her own and Morgana's, his feelings for Gwen, and Arthur and Morgana. Estella herself... well, she is simply too much for him to handle. Besides, she is _quite_... intimidating.

The young man is snapped out of his thoughts. "What is your name, boy?" Elaine is giving him that look that she had given Arthur. "I do not recall anyone telling me it."

Merlin flushes slightly and backs away. "It's Merlin, my Lady, if you will excuse me, Gaius needs me." And quickly he runs away, too.

While Elaine is left angry and her good mood spoiled.

**...**

Morgana is now sitting on the floor of her cell. Her feet had begun to hurt from her shoes and the manacles on her wrists chafe her skin. All her resentment is boiling in her. She is partially surprised that her magic has not surged out and broken her restraints. Her magic is connected to her emotions and they are storming now, but she reasons that it is still weak.

The door is unlocked and opened. The Lady looks up to see Arthur entering the cell.

She scoffs, "You, how proud you must be, son of the mighty Uther. How you must look up to him." The prince stands a few feet from her, his lips tightly pressed together, his back stiffly straight. Though Morgana is annoyed by Arthur's constant ramblings, she hates his silence even more. "Does the king's little helper bring a message? Or have you just come to gloat?"

His lip twitches, his mind questioning if she truly think so lowly of him? He slowly approaches her and she gets up, backing away. The prince does not hesitate as he comes to her and removes her shackles. He does not allow her to leave right away, though. Staring at her face he tells her, "I swore to him you'd never challenge his authority again. I swore that you'd learned your lesson. Tread carefully. Next time, I may not be able to help you."

Morgana keeps her eyes cast down. "Thank you. You're a better man than your father. Always were."

He looks at her wrists and tries to touch them, but she quickly moves past him and walks out of the cell. Arthur sighs and runs his fingers through his hair in frustration.

**...**

Gwen had entered Morgana's chambers to find her missing. The bed is still made, so she obviously has not slept in it. The maid starts contemplating where her mistress could be when she suddenly walks into the room.

"My Lady," she says in relief, she almost considered the worse.

"Gwen," the raven-haired woman says in surprise, "I didn't expect to see you here."

The dark-skinned woman takes in her friend's appearance: all the dirt and dust in her hair, covering her cheeks, on her clothes and the tears in them, "What happened to you?!"

"Nothing," Gwen is still skeptical, "Well, nothing a hot bath wouldn't fix." Her maid then sees the sores on Morgana's wrists where the manacles rubbed them. Her light brown eyes widen as she looks at Morgana. The older woman sighs and nods, "I spent the night in the dungeon."

Gwen shakes her, "Uther." But another realization comes to her, "It wasn't about my father, was it?"

Morgana hesitates; she does not want her friend distressed over her. "You have enough to deal with without worrying about such things."

The younger woman shakes her head again, "You shouldn't have done that! Not on my behalf. If anything happened to you, I couldn't bear it."

The Lady then asserts, "You need to go home, Gwen. Get some rest, please."

"I'm fine, my Lady." She says.

Morgana's brow furrows, "I insist." Gwen walks past her with her head bowed, picking up a hair brush. With her back to Morgana, she tries to keep from crying.

"I can't go home! Tauren..." Gwen trails off.

The Lady's eyes widen, "Tauren?!"

The younger woman takes a deep breath. "He attacked me. He threatened me. He was looking for some kind of stone. He said if I didn't bring it to him, he'd kill me. He's waiting for me in the Darkling Woods. I have to do something. If I don't get this stone to him by dawn tomorrow..." Morgana cannot stand to see her friend in such a state. She then begins walking off purposefully. "What are you going to do?" Gwen asks with worry.

Morgana quickly thinks up a lie. "I'm going to send the guards, of course. It won't be you that Tauren meets. It'll be the Knights of Camelot." She leaves Gwen to ponder over the situation alone.

* * *

The Lady stops in her tracks as Tauren and his men surround her with swords.

"Where's your maid?" the sorcerer asks.

"I've come in her place," Morgana replies, a tremor in her voice she wishes was not there.

"Kill her," Tauren commands his men.

She holds out her hand with the stone in it. "Aren't you looking for this?"

The sorcerer holds up his hand and the swords are pulled back, he takes the Mage's Stone and tells the woman, "You were foolish to come here. I had no quarrel with your maid. But you, my Lady Morgana, you are Uther's ward." He draws his sword and puts it to her stomach.

The Lady holds her ground, "And in spite of that, I want Uther dead, too."

"You, an enemy of the king," Tauren scoffs, "I'm to believe that?"

Morgana inhales, "Whether you believe it or not, but as someone close to him, I am his enemies' best weapon against him and I am willing to be that weapon."

After a bit more persuasion Tauren (finally accepting that she comes for her own reasons) pulls back his sword and sheaths it. He then moves to hear the Lady's plan to kill the king. Little do they know, there are three spies watching them.

* * *

Over the next few days, Morgana carries out her part of the plan: apologizing to Uther, bringing up her father, baiting the king's guilt. When she is not doing this, she stays with Gwen, comforting her and keeping her company, while avoiding Arthur entirely. With all this going on, her renewed memories and growing magic is put to the back of her mind on her own accord.

The prince is none too pleased with distance, but he allows it for now. He reasons that Morgana is just busy with attending to her maid and dissipating her anger towards his father. But then there is also his own problem.

Arthur has been having some strange dream every night for the past week. The images are blurred, but he can decipher a small boy with golden hair and two young girls with raven hair. The three are playing in tall grass somewhere. One girl is twirling about as flower petals dance around her as if by magic. No matter how many times these opaque images come to mind, he ignores them, not understanding what they mean at all.

Merlin, on the other hand, is struggling with what to do. He had witnessed what Morgana and Tauren discussed and now he is trying to decide what the best course of action is. He cannot confront the Lady, knowing full well that she has justification for wanting Uther dead. The dragon himself even said for him to do nothing, so that Arthur may ascend the throne. But then there is Gaius. Merlin has always strived to listen and obey his guardian as best as he can, but the elder man's loyalty to the tyrant they call king is something the young warlock cannot understand. The day for Uther's planned death is drawing and Merlin still does not know what to do.

Tauren has just affirmed plans with the king's ward about the king being at the Old Cairn on the hill. He is about to walk back to the woods to inform his men when is met by another woman.

"Are you a complete imbecile?" the woman demands.

The sorcerer mockingly bows, "Always a pleasure to see you, Lady Elaine."

"You cannot trust, Morgana." The woman chides him, "Do you even know who she is?"

"Everyone knows that she is Uther's ward, but even she can see that he is a tyrant-" Elaine laughs mockingly. "Is there something amusing?"

"You, you idiot, you don't know." She screeches, "She is the maternal cousin of Estella de Bois, one of the Le Fays. And you know what is said about the Le Fays. They put family before any others of their own kind and Estella is the crown prince's cousin, as well. She will not let any harm come to the Pendragons and Morgana knows this. She despairs to ever hurt her cousin and that soft heart of hers will not be able to see Uther killed."

Tauren rolls his eyes although he did _not_ know this, he cannot see its significance, "What is this about witch? Is this because you want to kill Uther yourself?"

"Wouldn't I?" She glares at the man. "He has committed heinous crimes not only to those of our kind, Tauren, but worse of all to my mother. I will not let any injustice involving her go unanswered."

"Well, they will not. Uther Pendragon dies tomorrow."

Elaine glares fiercely at the sorcerer, "You better make sure of it."

* * *

It is Gwen – good and sweet Gwen – who helps Merlin decide what he must do. Even with the king's faults, the warlock cannot bring himself to let him die when he can be saved. The warlock races through the forest with the Sidhe staff gripped in his hand.

When he arrives at the location of the impending murder, he sees Morgana and Uther making their way to the grave site. The warlock approaches the horses and finds the Camelot guards dead. But Tauren's men are, as well. While he looks around in confusion, suddenly he is grabbed from behind and pushed roughly against a tree.

"Don't even think of interfering, Emrys."

Merlin stiffens when he sees the familiar face before him. He, however, struggles against her, "Uh, Lady Vivienne, I must-"

The raven-haired woman laughs, the young man freezes in confusion. "Wrong sister, warlock, I am Valeria. And you need not do a thing."

"You would let the king die?" he asks with incredulity.

Her emerald eyes are fierce and Merlin can see how much Estella resembles her mother. "If he meant to die today, then he will. As I said, _do not interfere_." The woman then shoves him toward the direction he came. "Go home," she commands.

"But-" he protests.

"Now, sister," Vivienne appears at her twin's side. "Do not be so cross. He will not intervene as long as we are here, besides, he can at least observe."

The Le Fays stay hidden behind the trees as they see Morgana kneeling at her father's gravestone with Uther standing at her side. Merlin cautiously stands behind the two identical women.

**...**

"Your father was the greatest man I've ever known. He stood for everything this kingdom represents: truth, justice, valor. A hundred times he saved my life on the battlefield. His courage and his honor were without equal." Uther then kneels and kisses gravestone as Morgana sits in silence and anger and a tinge of apprehension. "When Gorlois died," Uther continues, "I lost the truest friend I ever had – for he was as fearless in questioning my judgment as he was in defending my kingdom. That's the mark of a true friend."

Morgana nods solemnly, "I know how he respected you, my Lord. But I don't share these memories." Uther bows his head. "How can I? I was ten years old. I only know I loved him and he was taken from me."Her throat tightens and she tries to hold back her tears.

The older man sighs and puts his hand on her shoulder. "When he died, and I took you into my care as he asked me to, you fought me from the beginning. Your will is as strong as his was and my own. You challenge me as a friend must – as your father did in his time."

She then meets his eye and says bitter, "And when I do, you clap me in irons."

The king looks down in shame. "I know I'm not an easy man. My temper blinds me sometimes. There are many things that I regret."

The Lady narrows her eyes and dares to question, "Gwen's father?"

"Yes," he admits while Morgana looks at Uther, completely surprised at the admission.

"Are you saying you were wrong to have Tom killed?" Again he affirms this and the Lady finds herself conflicted.

They are silent for a moment, until Uther speaks again, "I will strive to listen to you more and quarrel with you less."He moves his hand to the side of her face. "You've been a blessing to me, Morgana. Alongside Estella, you are the daughter I never had. Your counsel is invaluable, as is your friendship and your love. Without you, I cannot and could not hope to be the king this land deserves nor could my son." The Lady is speechless at what tells her. Never before has he ever said these things to her. And despite the king's usual cruelty, she can see the truth and heart of in eyes as he said these words. "Please forgive me, Morgana."

She sees Tauren sneaking up behind the king with a raised sword and she screams, "No! No!"

Uther turns around to block the blow and wrestles with Tauren. The sorcerer pins Uther down and draws a dagger, which Uther tries to block.

Morgana stands frozen for a moment. The king has never been a soft-hearted man to her and yet today she has seen that side of him – the one who _did_ know to bow down to others and admit his faults. Besides, too many fathers have been lost: hers, Gwen's, even Estella's, and she cannot bear to let Arthur suffer because of this too. She unsheathes the blade hidden at her waist in her cloak and stabs Tauren in the back.

Uther pushes him off and Morgana drops the dagger while the tightness in her throat loosens. Uther looks at her with gratitude and fatherly affection. He walks to her and embraces her. She settles into his embrace. It almost feels like she's in her father's arms again.

**...**

Merlin looks on at the sight of the king hugging his ward. "Did you know this would happen?"

Vivienne glances at the young man. "No, but we hoped." Without another word, she grasps her sister's hand and the two then are swept away with in the wind.

The dark-haired boy then decides to go back to Camelot.

* * *

Morgana jumps when she feels a hand on her shoulder. Looking away from the window, she turns to see Arthur beside. "Arthur," she says a little breathless.

He puts down his hand. "Sorry, I did knock. Gwen let me."

She nods, "Of course."

The prince hesitates before saying, "I wanted to thank you, for saving my father."

The Lady shrugs, "He is the king."

"Even so, you had just reasons for wanting him dead." It hurts Arthur to say this, but he cannot deny that it is true.

She shakes her head, solemnly, "But I could not another father die. No matter what he has done and will do, he is still your father and you love him as he loves you. Besides, you would have more to contend besides your grief and I couldn't let you go through that."

They are quiet for a time until the prince mutters, "You've been distant."

"Have I?" she asks innocently looking back out the window.

"Morgana…" he waits for her to look at him. When she does he continues, "What is it? And do not say nothing or anything close to that."

She sighs, "You needn't worry about it, Arthur."

"Morgana, whatever it is-"

"Arthur…" she has contemplated on whether she should tell him or not. Of course the risk is great, no matter what, he is Uther's son, brought up to hate magic, but on the other hand, he is _Arthur_. However, the raven-haired woman cannot bring herself to speak out her inner turmoil. "I may yet one day tell you, but not today."

The prince then sighs. He reasons that this fair though, he has no intentions of telling her about his dream, not yet, so he can wait for her, too. He puts his arm around her shoulders and strokes her pale cheek with his other hand. After kissing her hair, he whispers, "Whenever you're ready."

Morgana leans into his chest as she nods. They stay like this until Arthur leaves and though he is reluctant to part with her, he has his duties to attend to and she her thoughts.

* * *

**Author's Note: Thanks for reading and please review. Btw, the next chapter is already written and waiting ;).**


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Note: Thank you my readers for the reviews, Azar443 for being such an amazing FF twin (even when she's busy)! And AndyAiden, for putting up with my pessimistic self.**

**Well, this is the last chapter… of season 1, so we still have a long way left to go before the very end.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin.**

* * *

Le Morte d'Arthur

Prince Arthur stands in the main square of Camelot as he addresses the knights that will accompany him in hunting down the Questing Beast. "You've seen the foe we face. It's a creature of nightmare, but you are the best knights in the realm. We _can_ and we _will_ kill it before it harms another citizen of our kingdom." He then draws his sword, raising it up, "For the love of Camelot!"

The knights follow suit in action and words. As the men sheath their blades, Morgana rushes out of the palace in her nightgown, hysterically yelling for Arthur.

He looks at her in confusion. "Morgana, what are you doing?"

"You cannot face this!" She tries to grab him, to somehow keep him from leaving, but he takes hold of her arms.

"Morgana, go back to bed." He attempts to assure her, "There is nothing to be afraid of."

"Please, Arthur. I have seen terrible things! You cannot go!" Her sea green eyes are fiercely desperate as she begs him to stay.

Merlin, fearful that she may reveal her secret (he is not aware that she already knows it nor is she aware of what he is and what he knows), intercedes, "She probably had a bad dream, Sire. I'll take her to see Gaius."

The Lady shakes her head roughly at them, "No!" Refusing to allow the prince to leave, "I will not let you go!"

Arthur continues to struggle with her, but says to his servant, "No, Merlin, I'll get her inside, tell the men I will return shortly."

Merlin is surprised, but simply nods reluctantly while the prince drags a protesting Lady into the castle.

**...**

Arthur settles Morgana into a chair by the fire. He then picks up a shawl laying on the bed and wraps it around her. On the way to her chambers, she had stopped yelling, too consumed by her fears, visions, and other recollections (of course Arthur didn't know this). He was thankful she stopped screaming so much, she caused quite a scene already in the square.

The prince kneels in front of the young woman, his forehead creasing with worry. Her fair face is frozen in anxiety and her eyes are distant. He gently holds both her hands in his and softly calls out for her, but she seems to not hear him.

He squeezes her fingers and calls out to her again. This time she blinks rapidly and she breaths raggedly. Focusing her sharp gaze on him she reiterates that he cannot go face the creature.

The golden-haired man is not sure why she is so worried, he has gone to face magical creatures before and she has never been this frantic… well never frantic at all actually. It was typically "don't do anything terribly stupid." Perhaps, Gaius had said something. She had been spending some time with the physician (ever since Mordred) learning the arts of healing.

Nonetheless, she should not worry. "It's going to be alright, 'Ana, I promise."

She shakes her head sadly, "This is one of those promises you will unintentionally break, Arthur."

He gives her a puzzled look and she can only shake her head again and lie back in exhaustion. The prince lets go of her hands and she feels cold. He stands up, but before he leaves, Arthur brushes her raven curls aside and presses a soft kiss to her temple. "I will return as soon as I can," he whispers.

Her heart aches, for they are the last words he says to her this day.

* * *

Gwen is able to convince Morgana to at least dress and eat a bit, but she can barely stomach the food. The sight of Arthur dying in his sickbed still vivid in her mind. She was not able to stop him, she had failed at that. And even if he will kill the beast, it will take his life with it. Unless… she hears a noise coming from outside and a sting hits her heart.

Cautiously, she walks over to the window, opens it, and is shakened at the sight below. Uther is walking through the square with a wounded and unconscious Arthur in his arms, Merlin and Gaius following. The king's face is the very image of defeat while Merlin looks worried and Gaius is solemn. Uther then collapses in his grief. Four knights run over to bear Arthur inside as the king weeps on his knees.

Morgana takes a shuttering breath as she turns from the sight and sinks to the floor. She rattles a table with her movement, causing Gwen to turn and immediately rush over to her mistress. "My Lady, what's the matter?" She looks out the window and with one glance, the young woman understands.

The Lady is shaking her head while her body begins to tremble from her sobs. "I tried to stop him, but…"

Her maid wraps her arms around her, shushing Morgana and trying to assure her that everything will be alright. The Lady barely hears a word.

While on the other side of the castle, the Lady Elaine had watched the scene from her chambers, as well. But unlike everyone else, she holds a pleased smirk on her lips.

* * *

Morgana sits beside Arthur's bedside. The prince lays with the covers drawn up to his stomach. His skin is covered with a light sheen of sweat and is deathly pale, ever more so than the white cloth Gaius used to bind the wound near his collarbone. His crimson blood stains the cloth, but not enough for it to be in need of changing. He takes slow, shallow breaths and this is the only sign of life besides him stirring in his fevered sleep an hour or so before.

There is light coming in from the darkness outside and the Lady knows them to be candles held by the people bidding farewell to their prince. Morgana wipes away the stray tears that have fallen from her eyes. She needs to do something besides sitting and staring at him. The people have accepted that Arthur will not recover, but she cannot – she simply cannot bear the thought.

Sitting up, the Lady picks up a cloth and dips it into a bowl of water. After wringing it, she starts to wipe his forehead and neck. "I do remember, Arthur." She sniffles. "I remember when you constantly came to my bedside when I was ill because of Edwin, how you kept reminding me about the promise we made to never leave each other alone in the world after all the people we lost and kept losing." A forced smile settles on her lips. "That was so many years ago, I was surprised that you remembered. But you have been quite a surprise your whole life... from my experience, anyway." The Lady pauses, "But you... you broke that promise Arthur and then… then you fixed it," she sniffles again, "And now, it's almost like you're breaking it again." Morgana soaks the cloth and wrings it again, but now begins dabbing his chest. "You told me to come back and I did only because Edwin never meant to kill me. I would tell you to come back too, but… I can't knowing you will not be able to… not without help." The raven-haired woman hesitates, someone could be listening. "Just hold on, Arthur, be that strong fighter I know you are," she whispers while linking their fingers and steeling herself to keep from sobbing, "Estella's on her way and I'll be here, no matter what."

Morgana could have sworn that his fingers actually tightened, but her fatigued mind cannot be sure as sleep overtakes her.

**...**

"I hate to see her like this, distraught and afraid," Gwen says softly to Merlin. She turns away from the sight of her mistress to her friend, "You and Gaius are not hopeful either and that makes it worse."

The warlock looks down at Gwen's saddened face, "We all cannot be you, Gwen – ever hopeful."

Her lip twitches, "Is there anything we can do?"

Merlin sighs, "I'm leaving in the morning to find a cure."

The maid starts, "Merlin, it could be dangerous."

"But I have to Gwen," his pale blue eyes are fierce, "For the sake of Arthur and Morgana and Camelot."

She sighs knowing that he is right, "Just promise to be careful."

He smiles and nods, "You should go and rest."

Gwen shakes her head, "No, I must watch over Morgana, she will not leave Arthur's side." The young woman offers the other servant a soft smile and quietly enters the prince's room and sits by her mistress' side, wrapping a spare blanket around on her shoulders and straightening the pillows to keep Morgana warm and comfortable.

* * *

Estella looks over at Lancelot from over her saddle. "Ready?" she asks him.

For perhaps the fifth time (she has lost count, so she continues to say five) he questions, "Are you sure about this, my Lady?"

The duchess cannot help but roll her eyes. "Yes, Lancelot, I am sure. Agravaine is in one of his tempers again, so he will be in his chambers for quite a time without leaving, so he will not question me on my whereabouts and of course he doesn't care about you, no offense. The duchy will be kept in order, and you will not venture anywhere near the king, so you will not be caught and even if you are, you are _my knight_ and thus under _my protection_. So do not worry. I would go by myself, but-"

"We insist that our Lady has some extra protection besides herself," Ethan interrupts with a slight smile.

The duchess adds, "Though I usually would take Sir Ethan, I think that Hefina is a bit upset with me for always stealing him away." Said woman, who is standing beside Ethan, blushes slightly while sending her mistress a smirk. "And I won't be taking, Sir Kahedin, far too forward that knight."

The fair-haired maid laughs, amused, "What she means is that though he is loyal and competent in a fight, he also desires to get between Estella's-"

"Alright now, no need to scar, poor Lancelot." The raven-haired woman intercedes as said man looks away, uncomfortable. Looking up at the dark sky, "We must leave, anyway." Estella mounts her gray mare as Lancelot the chestnut stallion. "Take care while, I'm gone," she says to her knight and his lover.

They both nod and send their well-wishes and farewells to the other knight and their mistress as the two take off at full speed out of the citadel and towards Camelot.

* * *

"Nimueh, we cannot allow this!" Vivienne nearly screams to the Chief High Priestess. "You know who Arthur is to become and you know who Merlin is already starting to be, you cannot seriously want them dead."

"No, of course not," she flips her black-brown hair over her shoulder. "But you know that even though that is their destiny, destiny has to be won and by doing this, we are helping them."

"_Not we_," Valeria drawls out.

Nimueh turns her sharp blue eyes to the younger Le Fay, "And what do you mean by that Valeria?"

Vivienne stares down her twin sharply while she simply shrugs to both women. "What I mean is that it is only _you_, Nimueh. Vivienne and I have no control over the Questing Beast, only you do as the Chief High Priestess. And it was you who sent it in the direction of Arthur, thus causing Uther to send him to kill it, thus getting him bitten, and thus taking the life of the Once and Future King."

The older woman's blue eyes darken. "He is _not_ dead yet and this is simply a test for Merlin, to challenge how great his loyalty is."

Valeria shakes her head, "Even so, it will not be his death that will save Arthur."

"But in the end they will both live," the blue-eyed Priestess nods with confidence.

Vivienne then speaks up, "But at the cost of your life, Nimueh!"

She snaps her head around to stare at the older Le Fay. Vivienne lets a cautious breath. "Have you _Seen_ this?"

Holding her chin high, "Yes… and my sister and I will not allow to you die."

Nimueh's eyes soften slightly, but she says solemnly, "A life still must be taken for the revival of the young prince's."

Valeria nods, "But of course, _mine._" Two sets of eyes stare at the younger twin.

"Have you gone mad?" Vivienne demands.

"No, sister, but by all technicalities, he _is_ my nephew, so-"

Nimueh interrupts Valeria, "It will _not_ be your life or any other Le Fay's. The Old Religion shall not accept any of its blessed daughters, let alone those who are High Priestesses, to save a life."

"Then perhaps we should let Merlin himself decide." Valeria and the other High Priestess turn to the large window. Sure enough, the sight they see is the warlock himself coming towards the Isle.

**...**

Merlin carefully walks through the open halls. He feels the slight stirring of magic flowing through the castle and the isle itself. Though it seemed many years since the isle was completely inhabited, he senses that something is keeping the castle in such pristine condition.

The young warlock looks around at the stones standing in a circle and the stone altar in the center of the structure. He is about to call out a greeting, but a soft, musical voice he is familiar with says, _'We are strangers to one another, do not show any recognition of us.'_

Suddenly the silence around him is broken, "Hello, Merlin." He turns to see a woman, pale skin, dark brown almost black hair, stormy blue eyes, a kind of beauty that stands out from that of typical royalty that he has seen before in the court of Camelot, but not great enough to match or rival that of the Le Fays'. She bears a resemblance to Cara, but then again she _is_ Cara… well, sort of.

"Nimueh, you can't be who the dragon meant." Merlin shakes his head, "You tried to kill me and Arthur."

The woman in rose red smiles,the Druidic necklace, studded with black jewels glimmering around her neck. "Sometimes, your will to survive must be tested. But now it seems that I must aid you instead of challenge you."

"So, you know what I have come to ask," Merlin questions.

She purses her lips. Suddenly, the Le Fay twins garbed in identical rose red dresses appear at her side. "We do not have the power to mirror life and yet give nothing in return."

Vivienne on the right says, "To save a life one life must be taken to ensure the balance of the world."

Merlin straightens up, "I willingly give my life for Arthur's."

The Chief High Priestess is amused, "How brave you are, Merlin. If only it were that simple."

Valeria speaks before he can ask. "It will not be your life that is taken young warlock. You must find another who will willingly give their life for the Prince of Camelot."

The young boy starts, "But-"

"This is the only bargain that can save the prince, Merlin." Nimueh declares with finality, "It is either another's or his, this is what the Old Religion demands. Come back when you have another."

The three Priestesses move to go back into the palace, but the dark-haired boy yells, "Wait!" They give him a questioning look. "Please, I… I have a name of someone to bargain."

Valeria lifts her chin, "Give it then."

Merlin sighs heavily; Estella had given him this name. He heard it in his mind as passed the White Mountains. She assured that this person is willing to die for Arthur. Taking a deep breath, "Lady Igerna," he says to them.

Nimueh lifts a surprised brow, but does not comment, for she can see that the boy does not know whose name he is offering, only that they will exchange their life for Uther's son. She reaches over the altar, "The Cup of Life," she presents to the warlock, "Blessed by centuries of powerful sorcerers so that it contains the very secret of life itself. If Arthur drinks water from the Cup, he will live."

Merlin walks toward the three women and takes the Cup.

The Priestesses hold their hands toward the sky, "_Tídrénas_," and it begins to rain. Water is collected in the Cup and then Nimueh pours the water into a small, decorative canteen.

The Chief High Priestess gives Merlin the water, "The bargain is struck. I hope it pleases you." He quickly leaves to get the water to Arthur in time. Taking a deep breath, "Your daughter had something to do with this. Didn't, she Valeria?"

The addressed Le Fay bows her head, "Estella would not see you dead, either, my Lady."

Nimueh nods thoughtfully. There is something the Le Fays are hiding, she can feel it, but now is not the time for a confrontation. Whatever they are up to, it for her, for them, for their kind. Vivienne and Valeria would never betray her...

* * *

Morgana paces her chambers as Gwen prepares her bath. She is anxious to be away from Arthur and yet she is relieved to not have to watch him dying. Her door is unceremoniously opened, causing her jump and Gwen to run in from the antechamber.

Standing at the threshold is the Duchess of Caerleon… although she does not really look like it. Her fair face marred with a few scratches, her hastily done braid is windswept and has twigs and leaves in it, her clothes are rumpled, but other than that she seems unharmed.

The First Lady of Camelot immediately runs to her cousin and she meets her halfway. They embrace tightly while Gwen smiles and goes back to tending Morgana's bath.

"Are you alright, 'Gana?" Estella questions. Morgana can only nod still numb at the sight of Arthur's corpse-like form. "Arthur will be fine, do not fear." The younger woman nearly breaks down, but she steels herself and takes a deep breath. Her cousin looks at her sharply. "Do _you_ need anything?"

She knows that the older woman means anything at all. "No," she answers softly, "I'm fine, my magic is still rather dormant, the Sight is as it has always been, and my memories are sorted." Morgana pauses. "All I need is Arthur to live."

Estella cousin shall be fine for now. "We will discuss your situation later, then." After kissing Morgana's cheek, the duchess leaves the room to seek out her other cousin.

**...**

Gaius is pacing Arthur's chambers as the king sits beside his son. After he gave Arthur the water Merlin had brought from the Isle of the Blessed, the physician had convinced Morgana to at least go to rest in her own chambers for a few hours; Gwen went along with her mistress to ensure this.

Suddenly the prince stirs and wakes up, looking to his father. The king then wakes and says his son's name in surprise and relief.

* * *

"I thought we'd lost you," the king tells his son as he pats his shoulder.

Arthur replies gruffly, "Don't worry, Father, I'm not going to die."

"Good, because then I would have to resurrect you and kill you again myself for being so reckless," an amused, yet relieved voice says as the owner walks into the room.

"Estella!" both men exclaim as she beams at them.

Looking over her rather bedraggled appearance, Arthur comments, "You look terrible."

She glares at him, "Well, _thank you_ dear, cousin. I did _not_ just drop everything at my duchy and rush here without stopping to be at your side." She pauses, looking at his slightly pallid face and lank hair, "And for the record, you look terrible, too."

Uther laughs at his niece's sarcasm and insult. Kissing her forehead, "We are glad to have you here, my dear." Making his way to the door with a giddy stride, "I shall inform the court that their prince lives."

The dark-haired woman then gives her cousin a wry smile, "Good to see you well, little Art."

Arthur sighs exasperatedly, "Don't call me that."

She ruffles his hair, causing him to groan in mock agitation, "Fine, if you will always be the little brother I never had."

The older woman moves to the door, but he stops her before she leaves him to rest, "Thanks, for coming all this way."

Estella smiles, "You know I will always come for you Arthur, unless of course Morgana is in trouble."

The prince laughs, "Yeah, I would say the same." He blushes when she starts laughing, realizing what he had said, as she shuts the door.

**...**

Gwen covers her mouth in shock and surprise, "Oh, I cannot believe that you are here, Lancelot. Oh, but the king…"

The knight smiles, "Duchess Estella assures me that I am under her protection for this visit." He then laughs softly, "And apparently, she is in the mood to break some rules."

The maid joins in with his laughter, "Yes, Estella may play the role of the obedient, eldest child, but she is probably the most notorious woman in court," Gwen catches herself, "Well, that is what Morgana says because-"

Lancelot smiles again, "I do not think Duchess Estella would disagree with that statement."

And the young woman smiles at him. Unable to help herself, she throws her arms around Lancelot and embraces him, he holds her just as tightly. The dark-skinned girl notices the marks on his neck, however, and the scent of honeysuckle on his skin, a scent that is favored… Duchess Estella. Her throat tightens at the realization and Lancelot senses the change in her. She releases and him and stutters, "I- I must-"

Shaking his head fervently, "Guinevere, you don't understand-"

She holds her head up and steels herself, "No, I understand perfectly. She _is_ an exceptionally beautiful woman,and rumored to be quite talented in the bedchamber, who could resists her?" She asks bitterly.

A woman behind them clears her throat. Lancelot bows, "My Lady."

Gwen jumps, but then curtsies, "My Lady, your bath is drawn. If-"

"You would converse with me for a moment, Gwen?" Estella asks rather than orders. Then she looks past Lancelot's shoulder. "And Merlin, if you could go and fetch a meal for Sir Lancelot?" but this is more of a command as her eyes sharply assess the servant. Turning to her knight, "And you go and get cleaned."

Merlin bows his head with a tight jaw (he had seen Gwen and Lancelot embracing), "Of course, my Lady."

When the two men leave, Estella gestures for Gwen to enter her chambers. "You really do _not_, understand, Guinevere." The servant is silent, but she listens attentively. "I swear that Lancelot and I are Duchess and Knight – nothing more, but really potentially something less." Her moonlight gray eyes stare into Gwen's light brown. "The reason for the appearance that we have an affair is to protect him from Elaine. She desires him, but I will not let her have him because she will ruin him for one thing and I know he has feelings for you for another."

Gwen blinks rapidly in surprise, "Duchess Estella-"

"But then there is you." She cuts in, "Your heart is conflicted."

The younger girl looks down, "I suppose I am _that_ obvious."

"'Tis not a sin to love more than one man, but there should only be one you love the most. One whom everyone shall declare is your soul mate." Estella says as she pours a goblet of wine. "Whatever it is you want to say, you may say and you may call me by my name." (She knows the younger girl has always been fearful of disrespecting her by being informal).

The maid carefully starts, "Well, my Lady- Estella. You… you have had many… lovers-"

The older woman interrupts, "I prefer the term 'liaisons,' calling them my lovers would imply that there is actual love involved, which there is not."

"Mmm, may I ask why?" Gwen questions tentatively.

Estella shrugs while feigning nonchalance, but she blatantly drinks deeper from her goblet and pours another. "Only _good_ men are worthy of actually being loved and they are practically non-existent. You are lucky that Lancelot is good."

Gwen does not know why she feels comfortable freely discussing this matter with Estella. The two of them have never been the closest of people, but… it feels as though the Duchess sincerely wants to help (and she does). "And Merlin?" she asks.

Chuckling, "I am sorry, Gwen, but Merlin is a _boy_. He is a _good_ boy, but a boy nonetheless. You need more than a boy."

The maid is reluctant to give into the notion that she needs Lancelot. "But… Merlin has always been there and… I don't want to hurt him. I know that he feels something strong for me." (Although he does not know that she knows).

"Gwen, you are sweet, but sometimes, we cannot be sweet when it comes to men and boys." Estella turns her eyes to the window, "You should make sure they do not hurt you first." She is given a look of puzzlement, so shaking her head, "Do what you will, but remember what I have told you."

She nods, "Yes, thank you, Estella. And I am truly, very sorry for-"

Shaking her head once more and brushing away the apology, "No need, go on, I am sure you have more important things to do than to continuing speaking with me. I must bathe anyway."

Gwen curtsies and leaves the duchess' chambers.

* * *

Merlin confronts Estella as she leaves her chambers in the morning. "Whose name was it that you gave me to sacrifice?"

She lifts a quizzical brow, "I do not see why that matters when you claimed you would do anything to make sure that Arthur would live."

"I did not want a stranger to die instead of me!" the younger boy nearly yells.

The duchess does yell, for in spite of the wine from last night not dragging her down (she had learned to hold her alcohol from the best), there is the still the headache. "You would not have died anyway, so stop thinking of your own self-importance!"

He glares at her, "I was not thinking of myself, I was thinking of Arthur!"

"No," she narrows her steely eyes at the warlock, "I know what you try to deny, Merlin. You fight to save Arthur's life, but it is through Arthur will you ever achieve _anything_, even with your powers without Arthur… you are _nothing_." Estella traps him in a corner. "For you, this fight for Arthur's life is first for yourself – for me, it is him and everyone else." She backs away, "And do not lash out your fury at me."

He is taken aback, "What are you talking about?"

She looks over her shoulder, "I know that you are upset about Lancelot being in Camelot."

And he sinks to the ground, for she has caught the real reason he is angry. Yes, he did care about the woman whose name she gave him, but somehow he knows that the woman truly was willing to die for Arthur. Estella turns around, her forest green, velvet skirts swishing. "You said we had a future," he comments sadly.

She looks at him with sympathy now, "I know and I was not lying, but... I'm sorry, Merlin, I am not the type to tell whole truths."

The warlock swallows, even when she shows pity, she is blunt. "I suppose you think I deserve this, for using Arthur."

Shrugging, "You have not _actually used_ Arthur…yet. But I know that in your heart, you do not mean to. It is human nature to desire to be more or even _less_ than what you were born as." She pauses and adds, "Although, there are a few who are content where they are."

He looks up at her and dares to ask, "Do you…" but he cannot finish his question.

She offers him a soft smile, "As I have said before, there _are_ other people, Merlin." Her moonlight eyes seem distant. "No matter who betrays you, there are other who will come and stay with you and heal you and your heart."

"Are we still discussing me?" he asks with skepticism.

Her eyes snap back to him, "But of course, who else?" The warlock stares at her. She ignores the look and offers her hand. "Come now, wallowing in misery, will not help you."

Merlin looks from her hand to her fair face and something stirs in him. He recognizes that it is that feeling when he first laid eyes on Morgana. Slowly he takes her pale hand, noticing how they are calloused yet soft, and lets her effortlessly pull him up from the ground. Quietly, he utters his thanks.

She gives him an empathetic smile and squeezes his shoulder. "If you must know. Lady Igerna was mine and Arthur's grandmother. She has been widowed for quite some time and she practically prayed for death, so that she may see her husband, son, and daughter again."

Merlin is shocked to hear this. He is not really sure what to say, "I- I am-"

But then her features shift to that expressionless face that he is more used to seeing. "Do not forget my warning, Merlin. I was nice to you now because I can understand what you are going through, but I do put my cousins' safety and lives before anything that has to do with me."

Without another word, she turns sharply and heads to Morgana's chambers. Unintentionally and without her notice, her long, raven curls hit Merlin's face. The invigorating scent of pine needles and honeysuckle filled his nostrils and he is left dazed, watching her walk gracefully down the corridor. Perhaps she is correct and he was wrong, there _are_ other people and… perhaps... he dismisses those thoughts. Berating himself for even thinking such things… again.

* * *

Estella rolls her eyes at the sight she has turned a corner to see. Once again, she has caught Elaine while she is trying to catch her prey. However, this time it is not Lancelot, who in the lower town with Gwen, it is not even a man she lays claim to in any way, it is Leon.

The duchess decides to save the poor knight. She walks past them and repeats the little stunt that she has used before with her ribbon. Leon, noticing the 'fallen' ribbon and thankful for it (part of his mind recalls the reoccurrence), extracts himself from Elaine and excuses himself to return a High Lady's lost ribbon.

The auburn-blonde is of course far from pleased that she lost another man and it is once again to Estella. She huffs off and retreats to her chambers to grab her cloak and go into the woods to meet her most willing and constant paramour. The other two do not notice her departure.

"My Lady, I believe you dropped this," Leon bends at the waist and presents the green ribbon.

"I suppose I did. Care to help me, this time?" She turns around and holds her raven curls back. "Just tie it around," she tells him.

Leon tentatively does so and she is reminded of the complete opposite way that… Gwaine (somehow she is able to say his name again, even though the pain is still with her) tied her hair, with the confidence he always had with him about _everything_. "There you are," the tall knight says.

Turning back to face him, she smiles sultrily, "Thank you."

He swallows, trying to relieve the sudden dryness in his throat. Somehow she got him backed into the wall, as Elaine had. But with Estella, he is willing to be in this position. The duchess runs her fingers along his bearded jaw and he shivers. She then chuckles lightly and backs away. Leon lets out a huff and attempts to calm himself. Really, the Lady did love to tease. The knight does not that this is how she tries to forget.

**...**

After her talk with Estella about what they would do about her renewed memories, the visions she recently saw, and her growing magic, Morgana decides to visit Arthur. When she went to see him last night, he had fallen back to sleep. It was only due to his heavy, healthy breathing and his slightly tan complexion that kept her from believing he that he was still dying.

When she knocks on the door and slowly opens it, she finds Arthur sitting at his table with a goblet of water in his hand. He looks up and his bright, sky blue eyes light up. "Finally! I thought everyone forgot about me now that I'm healed."

She laughs softly as she steps into the room and shuts the door, "Really, Arthur, it is not always about you."

"Well, it should be, after what I have just been through," and he curses himself when he sees her wince, really he does have a problem with simply spouting out what is on his mind whenever Morgana is around. "Morgana, I… sorry-"

The Lady shakes her head, "No, it's- it's fine, you're right. How are you?"

He is about to say something stupid again, but then chooses to respond with, "Better now that you're here." The prince smirks at her flushed cheeks and gestures for her to come to him. "I remember you speaking to me."

She settles in a chair next to him, "Of course you did."

Continuing, "I never knew you heard me when you were ill."

Morgana shrugs, "I thought I'd save you the embarrassment you were sure to have if I brought it up. You did sound so passionate about getting Edwin to help me."

His eyes snap to her face. "You didn't mention you heard that."

"Well… as I said, I tried to save you the embarrassment."

The atmosphere is tense again and of course, Arthur is the one who tries to alleviate that. "You know, I may have broken my fair share of promises, but you did, too."

She gives him a look of confusion, "What?"

He looks into her sea green gaze. "You said you would be by my side… no matter what."

The Lady returns his stare. "I didn't want to Arthur, but Gaius and Gwen insisted. If they hadn't I would have stayed with you the whole time."

"Good to know," Arthur whispers.

He leans to her and she meets him halfway in a soft, gentle and yet tender kiss. He puts his hand on her shoulder as she caresses his cheek. When they pull apart, Arthur then rests his head on Morgana's shoulder and closes his eyes, smiling while reveling in her sweet rose scent. Morgana smiles as well, while she threads her fingers through Arthur's fine golden hair. For now, the two are content. Their problems and secrets do not matter. They are well and they are together.

* * *

**Author's Note: Thanks for reading and please review. **


	14. Chapter 14

**Author's Note: Here we are, finally starting season 2! Sorry for the long delay, some stuff came up that I had to deal with before I could get to writing. **

**Azar, dear twin, I am so glad to have you back! Dearest Andy thanks again for being my official-unofficial Beta. ****Girl in the Corner of the Room**** thanks for the constant push to update, I really needed it when I first started this chapter. Special thanks to ****CaroltvAddicted and maripd, you lovely twins, it has been great talking to both of you, thanks so much for all of your praise and encouragement! Love you guys! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin.**

* * *

The Curse of Cornelius Sigan

It takes Arthur months to fully heal from his wound inflicted by the Questing Beast and weeks more for him to return to his former health and strength. For the majority of the time, Morgana stays by his side, unintentionally boosting his ego with her doting and attentiveness, but Estella is there to bring him down and keep her cousin leveled. She does not immediately leave again for Caerleon (her family does not allow it), but Elaine does, with Sir Kahedin leading the party that is to see her there safely. Sir Nicholas, Ethan's father, returned from a long stay in Northumbria, where he was visiting his brother Benedict, to Caerleon during this absence of Estella's. He accepts her command by taking the duchess' place as her steward and since the work is being done, Agravaine is kept from showing his brutality.

Merlin attends to his master as he always has – watching out for any dangers, but harmless pranks and loads of bickering always ensues when they are in each other's company (the Ladies are glad they do not get caught in the crossfire). The king comes to visit often enough with news of the kingdom and papers for his son to review, since he has nothing else to do but heal. Gaius occasionally checks in to make certain that the prince is well, but only out of formality; he knows that Arthur is taken care of. Gwen comes to attend to her mistresses who are, more often than not, with the prince. Lancelot is always with her (the king is still in the dark about his presence in the castle).

With the time where they are alone, Estella teaches Morgana how to further advance and use her magic. Morgana has retained all the locked away knowledge, but her powers are still in infancy compared others. However, she learns fast and quickly exceeds expectations. She also makes a _surprising_ discovery, but she and her cousin have discussed it and have put it aside for the time being. As the duchess happily watches her cousin grow in magic, the Le Fay twins observe proudly from afar, and Merlin (in spite of himself) secretly keeps his eyes on Estella.

On the twentieth of March, Camelot celebrates the twenty-third birthday of Duchess Estella. She did not want a fuss, seeing that it has been less than a month since Arthur's almost death, but the prince would not hear of his cousin's birthday being pushed aside on his behalf.

The feast is as lavish as it has always been for any of the royal family's birthdays. Estella is showered with attention, praise, and numerous gifts, accepting the former two, but shucks off the first to Arthur as he is the recuperating prince.

Soon, Spring passes into Summer and birthday celebrations are repeated when Morgana's twenty-first arrives. However, this also prompts change. Now, Morgana is of age to inherit and since she is not just a Lady of Camelot or the Ward or First Lady but the only daughter of Duke Gorlois and the last of the House of Gorlois, this makes her the sole heiress to the duchy of Cornwall. And so, Cornish knights come to Camelot and with them, she rides for Tintagel castle with Estella, Lancelot, and Gwen for her instruction.

Estella goes to supervise while continuing her tuition for Morgana on magic. While Arthur continues to recover and eventually goes back his normal routine of training his knights, going on patrols, guarding Camelot, and so forth.

The Isle of the Blessed has drawn back its offense… for now, but another of Camelot's foe has yet to rise… again.

******._._._.**

Arthur tosses and turns in his bed. The workers loudly excavating are keeping him awake. He is surprised that no one else in the castle has gone to complain to his father… but then again, he is their king, however Arthur is the crowned prince and he is not going to stand for all the noise when he needs to sleep.

"Merlin!" he yells while getting up and out of bed.

The servant rushes in, "Yes, Sire?"

Arthur drowsily runs his fingers through his ruffled hair, "Are you deaf?"

Merlin pauses to see if he is unable to hear, but the sound of axes against rock echoing refutes the thought, "I wish."

"I want you to go down there and tell them to stop." The prince tells the other boy tiredly.

"But they are working under the king's orders." The dark-haired boy reminds his master.

The golden-haired man nods, while returning to his bed, "Yes, and you're working under mine." Thankfully Merlin quickly leaves, but the workers continue to refuse to cease their racket.

The prince groans in annoyance and fatigue. Really, sometimes his manservant cannot get anything done. And his father truly needs to find some other way to occupy his time, rather than commissioning workers to try to find treasure under Camelot. Arthur suspects that his father is rather bored without his niece or his ward in the castle. He, himself, can relate.

The prince turns onto his stomach and puts his head under the pillows trying to drone out the noise. Feeling envious now of Estella and Morgana, who are probably sound asleep in Tintagel castle, where they have been for the past two months. Hopefully, though, they would return soon. Arthur selfishly wishes that Morgana's training lasts as long as Estella's did, if not longer (although, he does not know that his cousin expanded her stays in Camelot to delay her training). For if Morgana receives the title Duchess of Cornwall quickly, then it is inevitable for her to eventually leave Camelot… permanently.

Now, she is of age so she requires not his father as her guardian and with a wealthy duchy to her name, she could acquire all that she desires and needs. And besides the guardianship, nothing _truly_ ties Morgana to Camelot. Unlike Estella who is Arthur's blood related cousin. Even though she is also Morgana's, Cornwall and Caerleon are closer in distance and history than Camelot to either.

So, Morgana has no ties to Camelot. Except for him… but he did not _really_ count, he is not her brother or betrothed… great now he is thinking about what they actually are to each other (a subject they still have avoided). They know what they feel for each other, but they have not tried to label what they are.

The prince groans again, his head hurting from all the contemplation and the workers that have yet to stop. Somehow, though, his mind seems to relax and the sound appears to have died down. Images from his dreams come to him – the same blurred images that get clearer and clearer with each new moon. This time, however, something is different. The golden-haired boy is missing, but Arthur quickly realizes that _he_ is _seeing _through the golden-haired boy. As the one girl is dancing with the flower petals, another is approaching him inside the boy. She is smiling, her raven hair caught in the wind and her eyes gleaming gray.

Someone is roughly shaking him. The prince bolts up, somehow he had fallen asleep. Blinking to clear his vision he sees Merlin beside him. Arthur glares at him (besides that fact that his sleep is interrupted, he was about to see – although not completely clear – the face of one of the girls that have been haunting his dreams for months), silently demanding what waking him up is for.

The servant backs away slightly, "Sire, the king commands your presence. The workers found something."

* * *

Morgana is restless in her bed on this rainy night. With all Estella's training to control her ever growing magic, she cannot control the nightmares and visions of the future. Gaius' draughts warded them off for a time, but they are no longer effective – have not been for quite a while. She knows about magical healing items and recalls that her mother had a bracelet that she had given to her sister (whom she knows not the whereabouts of and have not asked knowing of her adventurous nature), but Morgana refuses to have any for herself. They would take away her nightmares, but also the visions and despite the terrors they give her, they are helpful. Besides, she wants to prove her strength of endurance and overcome her fears.

Her magic sparks through her as she sees the night sky looming over a burning castle. The moon high and bright with wisps of clouds passing by and flying (seemingly) toward her is a large black bird with blood red eyes and a piercing screech.

The woman shoots up from her bed with a scream, whilst yelling for Gwen. The maidservant comes in and, seeing her distress, runs to her mistress. "What's the matter?" she asks worriedly (she is unaware of the Le Fay secret, so she knows not of the visions), but Morgana only pulls Gwen close and embraces her tightly. "It's alright, it's alright. I'm here. I'm here. There's nothing to be frightened of," she says and shushes Morgana, trying to calm her.

Estella quietly enters the chambers, her cream white nightgown softly brushing against the stone and her long, raven locks covering her back. In one hand she holds a lit candle and the other grips her silk skirt.

"Morgana?" she whispers.

The terrified woman looks pleadingly to her cousin while releasing her friend. "Estella…"

The duchess looks to the maid, "Gwen could please fetch some tea?"

Nodding, "Right away," Getting up from the bed and quickly she leaves the Le Fay women alone.

Estella takes Gwen's place and grasps Morgana's hand while magically lighting all the candles in the room, "What did see?"

Morgana relates exactly what her vision showed her. After she finishes, she asks, "What does it mean?"

Her cousin does not want to say this, but she knows that hiding things and harboring secrets has grave consequences (and she cannot afford them). "It is an omen; the bird is a symbol of what or even possibly whom, I cannot say for certain, but the castle, do you know which castle this one happens to be?"

The younger woman looks to the side, "What other castle is it ever?"

Estella squeezes her fingers, "Then, I think that it is time to return to Camelot."

"But we have only been here for two months; my training will be delayed-"

"As mine was," the older woman matter-of-factly states.

But Morgana catches the spark in her eye, "You did that on purpose."

She smirks while shrugging, "Being a duchess is not everything. Being there to save the people you love _is_."

By the next afternoon, Morgana, Gwen, and a retinue of Cornish knights are on their way back to Camelot, while Estella – feeling that she has been away from her land for too long – returns to Caerleon with Lancelot.

* * *

Estella sighs as she settles into the chair in front of her dressing table. Hefina comes up behind her with a brush and towel starts drying her hair and taking out the tangles in her raven strands.

"Lord Agravaine has taken an uncharacteristic interest in the matters of the council chambers lately," The maid starts.

The duchess sighs again, she could care less about Agravaine and Hefina knows this, "In what way?"

"There were representatives from the kingdom of Gore here for several weeks…"

"Yes," She is impatient to get this conversation over with, "Sir Nicholas informed me of that, but what does this have to do with Agravaine, I was not told that he attended council meetings."

Hefina slowly answers, "He did not attend meetings that Sir Nicholas set, he made his own."

The older woman then smiles slightly, "And being the brilliant girl that you are, you know exactly what was said at this 'meeting', don't you?"

She nods with a hint of a smile on her face, "There was not much said, for I think Lord Agravaine feared being overheard, but I did catch that he had the representatives take portraits of the noble household to Gore."

"I'm tired, Hefina," Estella groans, "Please just tell me what you want to say."

"An arrangement mistress, a marital one between Gore's heirless king and…" She says bluntly.

This prompts the raven-haired woman to laugh, "Well, there is fault in your logic if you will suggest me. As much as Agravaine wants me as far away from him as possible, he would not let me have an extremely advantageous marriage such as the one you are hinting at and that would take away someone who would actually rule Caerleon. He has already said as much. And because of this, I am still unwed. And if you were trying to hint at Elaine, I will say that I do see that as something Agravaine would do, he has always favored her more than me, but I dismay to think of any man wanting such wench for a wife."

Hefina presses her lips tightly together to keep from laughing. A rustle of fabric against stone catches both the women's attention. Putting down the brush and curtsying, the maid addresses the Lady Le Fays. Knowing that they would only come to Estella so blatantly for severe matters, she also quickly dismisses herself from the bedchamber and shuts the doors behind her.

Valeria gives her daughter a sharp look, as she deliberately ignores them and goes to her desk. "Estella, what are doing?"

She innocently looks up through her long, dark lashes, "Writing a letter."

Her mother gives her an incredulous look, "You cannot be as so dim as to not know what will happen in Camelot. Morgana's vision told you."

"She Sees what could happen, it is not always what will come to pass," she states disinterestedly.

Vivienne can see that her younger sister is growing impatient at her daughter's uncharacteristic attitude, so she intercedes, "My dear niece, it is Sigan, he has returned."

Estella lifts a brow, "Forgive me, but I only recall the name, not the history since he is not of my family lineage."

And Valeria, knowing that her child is playing ignorance on purpose, yells, "Cornelius Sigan, one of the most powerful warlocks to every live, now walks the earth again and he shall do as he has promised, raze the city of Camelot to the ground!"

The young woman makes a show of nodding thoughtfully, "Right, the sorcerer who lost his head because of his desire to defeat death and was a threat to Camelot due to his ties with the sorceress Medhir who preserved his soul in that heart shaped crystal that should have stayed in his tomb… correct?"

"Precisely, which is why you should be in Camelot to help stop Sigan, Morgana is not powerful enough to do challenge him on her own," Vivienne asserts vehemently.

"And _I_ am powerful to stand against him on my own?" Estella questions, truly skeptical.

She receives a dry look from her mother, "As dubious as you are, you should know that you would not only have your power, but the magic of your ancestors, as well, since you would be in the presence of someone not meant to be in our time."

The duchess throws out another excuse, "I thought you did not like me intervening."

"You have already done so numerous times and from our lack of chiding you have not deduced our approval or indifference?" Valeria looks quite out of sorts. "For the love of the Goddess, what is wrong with you Estella Le Fay?!"

The duchess stops her writing and looks her mother in the eye without betraying anything, since she and Vivienne have forgotten, just as she wanted them to. "Nothing, mother… but I cannot intercede, not this time." She does not allow her mother or aunt to question her words. "We, the two of you and I, have done most of the work to keep Camelot safe from rogue magic, but now it is Emrys' turn. He must prove his strength and grow toward the image of himself that prophecy has set and that he will strive to reach."

The twins are silent for a long while, mulling over this. Emrys… Merlin, they are the same person, or at least, in a way they are, and yet it is hard for the Le Fays to see it this way. Emrys is a legendary figure meant to be the most powerful of sorcerers the world has ever seen, even more so than Sigan himself. Merlin is Arthur's clumsy manservant who happens to know a lot about magic from his mentor, Gaius. They suppose, though, that they have underestimated the young boy, not only because of his youth and maladroit demeanor, but because of his discretion with his powers. They know not how much he works with his magic, but they are aware that his powers continue to grow, as Morgana's and Estella's does (although the last one is aware of this herself).

Gradually, they begin to see Estella's logic. Valeria offers a small smile and walks to her daughter's side, "My child, when did you get so wise?"

This actually stings her to hear this. "I did not and I am not, it is simply something you have said to me before," she answers with absolute certainty and truth. The mother shakes her head while giving her daughter an affectionate look. Uncomfortable she asks, "Shouldn't the two of you be returning to the Isle?"

"Doing something you shouldn't be, niece?" the oldest Le Fays asks.

It is a taunt, she can tell, so ignoring it, "I would think Nimueh expects you to be with her, seeing that she has been pulling back her offenses since the Questing Beast incident."

"She has gone to visit the Druids," Vivienne explains. "Despite her perseverance, Nimueh is not immune to fatigue and revenge _does_ tire her and now she seeks some respite from it… and it is the 'anniversary'…"

The younger woman nods thoughtfully, her shoulders sagging slight for it is an 'anniversary' for her too, "And Morgause?" It is strange that she just now takes interest in her most elusive cousin. Estella recalls having met Morgana's elder sister only a few times, her own sibling had seen even less of her than their cousin. Nonetheless, she feels the need to ask. If there must be a valid reason at all (for it is just one of those feelings) she blames her curiosity and her want to forget.

Vivienne frowns slightly. Her eldest daughter had left the Isle of the Blessed ever since Nimueh left to attempt to poison Merlin. This is not a strange habit for her. Morgause is one to stray away from home to seek adventure and gain secret allies for the Isle. She is fiercely a follower of Nimueh, vengeful toward Uther and seeking his downfall. Her mother and aunt have not tried to prevent this, they offer their guiding hand, but as is tradition: every Le Fay must choose her own path, nothing and no one _should_ dissuade her but herself.

"Probably having the time of her life in some faraway kingdom, I have not heard from her in weeks, but that is not unusual." Vivienne tells her niece.

It is silent again, the youngest Le Fay has nothing more to say, she desperately wants to be alone. Hefina tentatively enters, "Forgive me, but I have a message for Duchess Estella."

"It is alright, Hefina, we are leaving." The twin Le Fays embrace Estella and make for the secret passageway in the adjourning room.

"What is it?" the duchess questions tiredly.

Hefina chooses her words carefully, "Lord Agravaine has… _asked_ to see you in the morning for an important matter."

"Asked?" her mood shifts and she scoffs, "You mean commanded. Oh, very well, I have no reason to object, but the fact that I hate being in his company. You may go to bed now Hefina, it is late. I will see you in the morning."

The fair-haired woman curtsies, "Good night, mistress."

**...**

Elaine walks through the darkened corridors of the lower part of the castle with a flaming torch floating beside her. The effort to hold it herself would be wasted since she has magic and she did not want the wood to chafe her hands. She continues to look around. She knows, she felt, she heard, she knows her mother is in Caerleon. But why she will not come to her, Elaine does not know, but she desperately wants to see her.

Turning around again, she comes face-to-face with a light brown-haired, blue-eyed woman, her petite form garbed in black lace, she looked like some sort of outcast sorceress, but then again, she is.

Elaine smiles widely, "Mother."

She twitches a smile, "My dear, Elaine." She does not move to embrace her daughter, nor does Elaine move to do the same either. Niniane's daughter was reared to learn that affection is fleeting and meaningless, holding love in your mind and heart is more than enough, because love makes you weak and vulnerable.

Breathlessly, "Where have you been? It has been over a year since you contacted me."

She gives her daughter a daunting stare, "I did not know that we switched roles – that you are the mother and I the daughter who must answer to you."

Recognizing her error, she immediately starts to try and cover it, "Forgive me mother, I just… I have felt so- I," she cannot say that she missed her, Niniane would consider her feeble and remind her that they are not like the Le Fays, family is what _connects_ people, _not_ what _binds_ them. "-I feel useless, I play with men, I flounce about, dress, and I am tired of being a courtly Lady, when will our vengeance take place? I have already tried on my own, but…"

Too late, she realizes her question sounds almost like a demand, but her mother ignores the tone. "Our ancestor has fulfilled his promise. The Great Sigan has risen again, Elaine."

Her daughter is delighted to hear such news, but confused by her mother's lack of urgency. She has always been prompt to move as fast as can be, "Will we not join him?"

Niniane shakes her head and purses her full lips. "Not until the time is right. We _will_ have our vengeance, my girl. Uther Pendragon and the rest of his family and followers will pay for the crimes they have committed against us, rest assured of that… I must go."

"So soon?" Elaine wanted to ask, but her mother is already gone. As she always has, immediate to leave when she tires of speaking with her daughter, but Elaine is optimist on this one subject, that her mother is simply a busy woman. She will not dote upon her daughter who is no longer a child, but a grown woman who can fend for herself. She keeps telling herself that this neglect makes her more independent, stronger… on some level, she is quite right, but even more so, she is wrong and she does not know it.

* * *

"Looks like there's a storm coming," Gwen comments as the retinue of Cornwall enters the citadel of Camelot. Morgana nods absently, apprehension filling her senses, her magic humming at the recognition of another source of magic nearby. Before the younger woman can question the Lady's silence, there is a blood curdling screech sounding through the air. Morgana holds up her arm and stills her company. Almost a second later, the screeches are accompanied by the sound of distressing and fearful citizens. Shadowy, shrieking creatures soar through the skies and start attacking.

The knights around them converge closer to Morgana and Gwen as the Lady yells for them to draw their swords. She then gives her friend her spare sword since the maid did not usually carry a blade. The party then starts galloping toward the castle while evading people who are fleeing the city and striking at any beast that comes their way.

In a matter of minutes they enter the main square, but they have to abandon their horses, it is much easier to dodge assaults from the creatures on foot. While Morgana is surveying the condition of her knights, she does not see one of the gargoyles diving toward her. However, Gwen does and she is quick to leap towards her friend and push her to the ground.

When the creature flies back to the skies, the two women carefully stand up. "Thanks Gwen," Morgana breaths. The younger woman's response is lost as the gargoyles begin to screech even more. The Lady catches sight of a figure on the ground… it is Arthur and one of the creatures is diving straight towards him. "Get Gwen inside!" she orders of one of her knights as she races across the flagstones to get to Arthur.

The beast's mouth is right over the prince's stomach when Morgana reaches him and drags him away. She keeps her eyes on the skies, looking out for more attacks with her sword ready and the rest of her knights grouping around her.

"Morgana…" he pronounces as he struggles to his feet. She is quickly at his side and helping him up, only to be pushed back down by Arthur when another creature comes their way.

**...**

"My Lady!" the fair-haired maid yells as Estella nearly collapses and falls from the turrets. Hefina and Lancelot hold her up, but the duchess loses consciousness. "We must get her to her chambers." The young woman looks to the flaxen-haired huntsman, "Ethan?"

He roughly shakes his head, "The last time I carried her, she woke up and nearly slit my throat and then threatened to cut off a certain body part and choke me with it." Hefina almost snickers, but "I am _not_ risking either again."

She sends him a glare and turns to the other knight, "Sir Lancelot?"

And the dark-haired man is at a loss. Ethan's comment on Estella is most disturbing and he will admit that it unsettles him, but he cannot risk letting his mistress' condition worsen. Gently, he puts her arm around his shoulders and picks her up, holding her as far from his body as he can while making sure she is not uncomfortable.

He and Hefina make their way to Estella's chambers in the most sectioned off part of the castle. Ethan is ordered by his lover to not follow. They past a balcony where Lady Elaine is standing and she sneers at the sight, but is ignored. Thankfully, no one else sees them and they arrive at the chambers.

The maid pulls back the covers on the bed and Lancelot sets the duchess on the mattress and steps back to let Hefina do her work. She takes off Estella's boots, pulls the covers over her, and then dabs her temples with chamomile water.

Lancelot questions, "Do you know what is wrong?"

"Of course I do, she has not been eating or drinking – ignoring food and water just because they are a 'waste of time' as she likes to say." There is bitterness and reproach laced in the words. "I am sorry, do not think that I am angry at you." He still does not look convinced, she chooses to lighten the mood. "You know you are one of only two men who have been in Estella's bedchambers." The maid laughs at the reddening of the knight's face. "Although, in the other man's case-" She suddenly puts her hand over her mouth, her eyes wide.

Inquisitiveness gets the better of the knight, "Do you mean Gwaine-?"

Roughly, Hefina tugs him by the collar of his midnight blue cloak and his chainmail (she is unwittingly strong), pulling him into the solar and shutting the doors to the adjourning. "Careful when saying that name!" she whispers fiercely. The knight quickly nods and the young woman sighs, "You are curious to know, aren't you?" He is chivalrous enough to look sheepish and almost ashamed. Taking a deep breath, she starts with, "This is to never pass your lips, do you understand, do not ever bring this up to _anyone_."

Bowing his head, "You have my word."

"Gwaine is- _was_ Estella's paramour. A most passionate lover, I must add. He is the son of Sir Gaheris Lothian. A highly respectable and respected family. Although not very wealthy, the Lothian house was very close to house de Bois. It was speculated that the houses would one day join in marriage and I think that was the plan, but," she swats her hand as if to sweep away her last comments. "Estella and Gwaine were introduced to each other at the age of thirteen. Great friends they apparently became – I was not yet in Estella's service at the time to see it for myself – and the amount of time they spent together led to a lot of gossips. Eventually the gossips became partially true. Estella took Gwaine to her bed and their affair continued for quite some time. I was fifteen when I came to Caerleon. I was shy and quiet, but I was always observing… And if ever I saw the greatest love shining in a man's eyes, it was when Gwaine looked at Estella. I could have sworn they were the loveliest pair, but some… Gwaine's hidden nature and explicit activities came to light. He is a notorious drinker and philanderer, chasing after every woman he laid eyes on… It was also discovered that he begot a child on Lady Elaine. Estella, you could imagine, was devastated. He tried to deny all the blemishes on his reputation but he had no proof to defend him and so much against him. When Elaine's condition could no longer be hidden, Agravaine sent her away for a time, Gwaine was charged with going with her. A year later, however, Elaine returned but he did not. It is assumed that he is raising that child of his out there. Yesterday marks the sixth anniversary of the day he left... Every year since that day, Estella has been like this, defeated and broken beyond repair."

"…Hefina," Lancelot starts, "Why do I sense that there is something more? Like… doubt."

She glumly replies, "It is probably false hope, but I… I want to believe that Gwaine was and is the man I thought him to be, the man Estella so obviously still loves- but I can't, not when he has hurt my friend like this."

The knight looks at the maid with wonderment. The unwavering loyalty Hefina has to Estella reflects the relationship of Gwen Morgana or even Merlin and Arthur's. It seems these three families have the uncanny ability to inspire great devotion. Deciding that he has pried enough, "I will never say a word," he promises.

"Good… now I must attend to my mistress." She goes back in the bedchamber and Lancelot goes to his.

**...**

Arthur hisses and clenches his fist at Morgana's shoulder. She works as quickly as she can, staunching the blood flowing from the wound and binding the bandages to keep them in place. The Lady glances around and catches sight of Gwen tending to Sir Leon. Relief flows through her knowing that her friend is unharmed.

Uther comes to his son to ensure that he is well and to question the situation. He acknowledges Morgana with a quick nod, too distressed when he hears that his city is falling prey to these unnatural creatures. Uther decides that the only way to keep a few alive is to seal the citadel. But the prince will not hear of it. He forces himself up and letting Morgana help steady him.

"Where are you going?" the king demands.

Arthur grunts, "There are people trapped on the drawbridge."

Uther grabs his son's arm, "I forbid you; it is suicide."

"I'm not leaving them to die." The prince pulls away and walks toward the door, "It's my duty to Camelot and to myself!" The king turns away and Morgana goes to Arthur.

Gwen's "My Lady!" stops her.

"My knights are out there Gwen," she gives as her reason, but her eyes are on Arthur as she follows him out with knights of Camelot right behind her. He does not protest against her coming with him this time, knowing that she feels the same sense of duty as he.

**...**

Merlin breathes a sigh as the creature explodes into charcoal rubble. He looks around for any sign of Arthur but he is only with the remains of the gargoyle and corpses… or so he thinks. "Who would've believed it? You, a sorcerer, and a powerful one," Sigan declares as he walks out of the mist. The younger warlock does not respond.

"It must hurt so much to be so put upon, so overlooked, when all the while you have such power." Sigan taunts.

Merlin then speaks, "That's the way it has to be."

"Does it?" the older warlock questions. "You're young, Merlin. Look inside yourself. You have yet to discover your true power." He slowly walks closer, "I can help you. Think, Merlin – to have the world appreciate your greatness, to have everyone know you for what you are." Merlin is conflicted now. What he has wanted is to not have to hide, to be himself. "Together we can rule over this land. Arthur will tremble at your voice; he will kneel at your feet."

And with that statement, he makes his decision, "I don't want that."

"You'd rather be a servant?" questions Sigan.

Merlin holds his head high, "Better to serve a good man that to rule with an evil one."

The older warlock inhales sharply, "So be it. If you will not join me, I will become you and your power will be harnessed to my will."

Merlin watches as Cedric's body begins to tremble while he gasps raggedly, seemingly trying, in vain, to breathe. After a few moments, Cedric slowly falls to the ground, his eyes wide open. Merlin shakes with uneasiness as he sees a shining blue, whispering essence – Sigan's soul – draw out of Cedric's body and flow towards him, surrounding him.

"_Ic þín sáwol hér beléac, abide þæt ic þé álíese!"_ Merlin falls to the ground. His breathing is ragged, but in his hand is a heart shaped jewel, glowing blue and pulsing with an aura of life.

* * *

Sigan's soul is put back where it belongs and his tomb, along with all his riches, is sealed. Uther has his official greeting with Morgana. She gives him an extemporaneously made story of needing Estella as her sole tutor and since said cousin had to depart for Caerleon, the Lady decided to return to Camelot earlier than planned. Uther chides her for neglecting duty, but he is pleased to have his ward back.

Now, Lady Morgana stands at the window, looking out at the main square as the people of Camelot continue on with their lives. She lost all her Cornish knights to the gargoyle onslaught and she feels guilty for leaving them behind. The Lady wonders how her cousin manages to order men to battle without even a tremble.

"So, was your home not everything you expected it to be?" Morgana doesn't turn around. She stands still as Arthur puts his arm on her shoulder. "Well?"

The Lady sees Merlin walking with Gaius and her senses quiver. "Cornwall is no longer as it was when I was last there…" she sighs, "I think I'm still looking for home, Arthur." He says nothing, only pulls her closer, understanding her unspoken remorse. He, of course, knows the feeling well.

* * *

**Author's Note: Thanks for reading and please review. If there's anything that you'd like to see in future chapters, let me know, I'll try to put it in. Also, if anyone is interested, this story's prequel **_**Of Legacy and Legend**_** is up (I do recommend reading it because there are ties to this story that may not be mentioned), it is darker than this fic and does not include all the familiar faces you are used to seeing… yet.**


	15. Chapter 15

**Author's Note: I sought to update quicker, but it did not happen because of some distractions and things in my life and the fact that this chapter just not coming to me, but once I got things pretty settled and writer's block was mostly overcome, I got to this.**

**Anyway, thanks to all my buddies who talk with me, read/edit/pre-review for me, and give me ideas.**** Special thanks to Girl in the Corner of the Room for your input. Love you all! **

**And thanks of course, to all my readers/followers/favorites/reviewers.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin.**

* * *

The Once and Future Queen

The flag is waved and the two jousters charge forward with their lances aimed. Merlin watches rather anxiously. He had arrived after last year's jousting tournament and so this event is completely new to him. The servant was uneasy when his master explained it to him and now that discomfort grows as he continues to watch Arthur and his knights practice. However, he understands that this event is important to the Pendragons and the de Boises. This tournament is begun every year on the day of Ygraine's birth, to honor the beloved late queen.

When the riders meet, it is the prince who un-horses his opponents. For Merlin's part, he is thankful for this, but he still winces at the sound of splitting wood and the other knight falling from his horse.

Merlin walks toward Arthur and takes the broken lance, "That has got to hurt."

The prince lifts his helmet, "That's the point, Merlin. It's not a pillow fight. Fetch me another lance, will you?" Merlin does so and another round begins.

This time, Arthur jousts against Sir Leon. While the two charge towards each other, a flash of light temporarily blinds Arthur and he turns away. Leon has half a mind to pull out in order to not injure the prince, but he knows this will anger Arthur as well as get himself into trouble with a certain duchess. So, the knight attempts to compromise by using the advantage, but with the least amount of force possible. Shifting the lance so the some force would come back at him and aiming for Arthur's left shoulder where there is the most armor, Leon strikes as they meet.

Leon is thrown off balance by his intervention of avoiding the most harm to the prince and his horse nearly runs into the stands, but he gains control and turns around, riding back to check on Arthur. Unlike the knight, the prince falls from his horse, but held onto the reins and succeeded in not colliding with the ground. When his horse slows down, Arthur catches his breath and footing and removes his helmet. Leon dismounts and does the same, apprehensive of what the prince will say to him about his actions.

Before anything is said, however, a feminine voice is heard in the distance. "Arthur!" The prince, his servant, and the knights all turn toward the voice, to see the Lady Morgana, in a green robe with a golden girdle, standing with her maidservant on the outskirts of the jousting pitch. "Estella's retinue has arrived!" she informs him and turns to head for the main square with Gwen at her side.

Arthur, Merlin, Leon, and the other knights start running after the women – every one of them, anticipating the arrival of the Duchess of Caerleon.

When they reach the citadel, they find that the main square is cleared in the center, but full of people around the sides and on the steps. Agravaine had complained on their first visit that there was a lack of a welcoming party for him and so all the years after, Uther has gathered most of the entire court to welcome them. The Pendragon banners get caught in the soft breeze of autumn as well as the de Bois which are hung for the occasion. The knights scatter to take their position amongst the others in the main square. Arthur and Merlin search for Morgana and Gwen and hastily, they join the women where they are waiting with the rest of the court on the steps.

**...**

Estella rolls her eyes as Elaine complains once again about the tiny little specks of dust on her extravagant, pale blue gown. Really, she has not learned by now that one should wear the appropriate clothing when traveling.

The duchess absolutely loathes the way this large procession is set up. Agravaine decided he wanted to show off the wealth of the duchy as well as his own prestige by taking up leading with his guards and Elaine by his side. Estella is behind his group of guards, with her knights, her Ladies-in-waiting, and Hefina and the other servants. She does not care about formalities – which would place her as the lead and Elaine and Agravaine behind her, the Ladies behind them, with Hefina in the back with the servants, and the guards and knights surrounding them all (she would rather be in the very back alone, to be away from Elaine and Agravaine) – but this is another method of her uncle to disgrace her. It's not the actions themselves, but the result of them that bother her.

Agravaine also decided on having the guards bear the de Bois banner and crest, blatantly and obnoxiously so. Proud as Estella is of both sides of her heritage, she never has her personal entourage show any signs of where they hail. It is safer that way for them. But the Lord of Caerleon insists on everyone knowing who he is.

Really, this trip is not even for him. It is for his deceased sister, no matter what his feelings on her are. Estella does not know what the de Bois siblings were like, as she has never questioned about her father, she never asked about his brother and sister's past. There were never assumptions made by her either, nothing can be simply presumed when it comes to Agravaine.

She hopes, though, that he will behave, at least in public. This is the one time out of the entire year in which the king and his brother-in-law (should) set aside most of their difference and the former is allowed in Camelot. And those of Caerleon may stay until the jousting is over.

They enter the main square. Agravaine roughly dismounts and makes a show of helping Elaine down and ignoring Estella. The party gathers and approaches the king as he walks to them. Stable hands come to take away the horses. The two men give each other cold stares and grip at each other's arms.

The king starts with a glacial tone, "Agravaine-"

"Uther," the other man addresses with the same chilliness, interrupting.

The king ignores the discourtesy and then turns to his brother-in-law's ward. He takes her proffered hand and bows his head to her, "Lady Elaine."

"My Lord," she curtsies and waits as he lets go of her hand. Elaine sneers when he turns back to Agravaine completely disregarding the fact that he should have complimented her.

"I presume that the chambers usually set for me and my company are ready," Agravaine says.

Uther nods, "Yes, everything is arranged and as you have 'requested' every year."

"Good," the man offers his ward his arm and she takes it, "We will find our own way."

The king nods again, "I hope you have a comfortable stay." The Lord, his ward, and his guards and servants go into the castle and Uther signals for the court to disband all save for the prince, the ward, and their servants. The guards and the knights who were practicing stay where they are as well. Uther then turns to his niece – who had been quiet during the previous exchange – and his face breaks into an affectionate grin.

She bows her head and walks up to him with her own joyous smile, her maid and knights standing back, "Uncle."

"Estella," he says as he embraces her. "I trust the journey was not so terrible."

"Nothing I am not accustomed to." She shrugs, "The whining complaints of a damsel in distress about dust and dirt were worst than the dust and dirt itself."

Her uncle chuckles, "Even so, you are as lovely a vision as ever."

"I do think Lady Elaine wanted that compliment, Sire," the duchess smirks.

Arthur as always is tired of waiting to be noticed, so he walks around Morgana toward his cousin, the Lady follows suit. "I fear she did not deserve it, which is why the king deemed it necessary not to oblige her." She chuckles at his remark and the sudden hug he gives her. "Glad to have here."

"Glad to know that," and Estella snickers when Morgana shoves Arthur aside in order to embrace her. The prince sends her a mock glare. The four of them then enter the castle with the servants and Caerleon knights walking behind them. Arthur dismisses his knights and the guards.

"My, it is like when you three were children," Uther laughs, "Arthur and Morgana always fought and their favorite thing to feud over was you." He receives indignant looks from the former two. "But, of course, one of the most coveted women of the kingdoms will be wanted by all."

The duchess narrows her eyes with amused suspicion, "Why the exaggerated compliments? Is there something going on that I am not privy to?"

"Only you would say that, fair cousin," Arthur notes.

She turns, "You see, you call me 'fair' when I am _not_ in any sense of the word."

"Only in your eyes," the king says, then kisses her forehead, "I have a matter to discuss with my council, but once you are rested, the three of you come join me for dinner." He then walks away to the council chambers.

Arthur then says in a hushed voice, "I cannot believe that you have snuck Lancelot into Camelot, once again."

"And I will continue to do so when I need to," Estella throws back.

He holds his hands back. "I am not reprimanding, I am applauding your sly talent for subtly."

Morgana speaks up, "It is too bad that he will not be able to join the joust…Unless, of course, you have a plan for that."

"Can he actually joust?" the prince asks skeptically given Lancelot's inferior circumstances.

He receives a punch for that, "Do not insult my knight. And for your information, Ethan has taught him and he can joust, better than I, but he simply does not want to risk exposure, even though it seems the king of Camelot is in a forgiving mood."

"Only because you are here," Arthur states, "And Lancelot is only good at jousting probably because he practices, unlike _you_."

Morgana intercedes when Estella looks like she may actually attack, "Alright," she tugs her cousin toward the way to her chambers, "You probably want to change and Arthur you probably want to bathe as well, you smell." And with that, the Ladies, handmaidens, and knights leave the prince and his servant.

But not before Estella retorts, "At least it will be one less knight for me to threaten to actually try their hardest when jousting against you!"

Arthur sighs, "Yeah," and makes his way to his own chambers. Merlin lingers behind staring at the other direction, "Merlin!"

Broken from his trance invoked by a certain Lady, he scurries after his master, "Coming!"

**...**

"What did you do?" Estella demands as Hefina pins back her raven curls.

Morgana looks up from the spell book, "What do you mean?"

"Since when does my cousin actually banter with me?" She flinches as a tangle is snagged.

The younger woman knits her eyebrows, "We always banter."

Estella rolls her eyes, "Alright, let me clarify – since when does _Arthur _actually bicker with me, he knows full well that I will always win against him and he usually gets enough of it from..." she eyes her cousin in the mirror, "Have you been avoiding him, again?"

The Lady turns back to the book, "I have been… spending _less_ time with him than before," she answers.

The elder cousin quirks her eyebrow, "Well, he is taking that as avoiding then."

"He is recovered now," she reasons, "Arthur should know I will not be spending every waking moment with him." Her cousin remains quiet to let her continue, but she asks Hefina to leave them before Morgana speaks again. "And then there is my… magic. It is so difficult to keep the energy settled." The duchess then rises from her dressing table and sits next to her cousin. "I know you are trying, but all these sessions we have had while communicating through mirrors and water basins is helpful, it is better when you are here with me, training me in person."

Estella smiles empathizing with that feeling, when she continued her training after Vivienne's spell on Morgana, her mother and aunt visited less and the young Le Fay had to learn many things alone. "Then we should not waste time." She pulls the book closer to her, explaining, "It is your magic seeking out the presence of its kind."

Morgana considers this, "But what about Merlin?"

"What _about_ Merlin?" They had already discussed the matter of Merlin and his powers when Morgana had first felt the aura of his magic. Estella also reminded her cousin of the prophecy of Emrys and Morgana figured out the rest for herself (as unlikely as it seemed for Merlin to actually have such a destiny surrounding him). But they kept this quiet from Merlin and Gaius, as the two men did not know about Morgana's renewed memories and magic (although they were not even aware that they were put away).

The other woman takes a moment to snicker though, "That is such an 'Arthur question', but anyway, I meant that, even though you marked him, he still has magic, since the mark only hides the aura of magic, not suppress the magic itself…"

While turning the pages of the book, she answers, "All magic is not the same, as you very well know, and despite the connections, his is different and does not have much affinity with ours. The irony is hilarious isn't it? But there are over three hundred years of generations in between since then, so…"

Morgana nods and then asks, "Why _did_ you give him the mark?"

"_Family first, Duty second, and then Honor_, the relation, even though distant, still marks him as family and as a Le Fay it is my duty to protect those of our kind, and it is the honorable thing to do, protecting him," she replies.

After a moment, the younger cousin cannot help, but to question, "Do you _like_ him?"

Estella then stopped what she is doing and gives her cousin a confused look, "In what context-No, never mind, no… Why are you asking this?"

"I just pity him," Morgana answers, "Since Gwen is now with Lancelot, Merlin is a bit melancholy because of that, I have seen his almost heartbroken looks, and I thought maybe-"

"No, do not continue that sentence," the older woman shakes her head, "I have sworn off boys."

The younger cousin gives her an amused look, "But not men-"

"We are not speaking of that, we are going to practice." Estella pushes the book in front of Morgana. "You need to work on controlling fire."

The younger cousin stands up with the book in her arms as the elder moves the chairs and puts a single candle on the table. "You barely have any control over fire either."

"I can start one and put one out without chaos and I do not accidently sent off fires in my sleep," she points out.

Morgana mock sneers, "You are cruel."

Estella retorts, "No, I am brutally honest, now, concentrate," she tilts her head to the object for extra emphasis. Her cousin exhales and then takes a deep breath. "Ignore all else," the atmosphere in the room seems to lighten, the air seems to stop shifting, time even seems to stand still, there is not even a whisper of a sound. "Focus all your energy inward and then toward the candle," Morgana closes her eyes and does as her cousin instructs. "Summon your energy and light the candle." Morgana struggles with keeping a firm grip on her energy, using too much of it will end up burning down Estella's chambers. Noticing her forehead tighten, "Do not be so tense. Calm yourself and relax. Treat you powers as if they are sand – you can hold a firm grip, but eventually, you must let go, let the grains seep through your fingers as they will."

Estella watches with bated breath. She knows that Morgana can do this, she has total confidence in her cousin and yet she is unconsciously holding her breath with her hands tightly gripped into fists at her sides.

_'Light the candle,'_ Morgana hears in her mind… she focuses her energy on the candle, pictures her desired outcome… then hears a gasp from Estella. When she opens her eyes, she can see why. The candle is brightly lit, but the flame is growing. The Lady uses her magic to extinguish the fire and she is surprised to see that she succeeded.

Morgana moves to sit on the chaise. The spell may have been basic, but the effort she used to rein in the flame took a bit of energy. Estella gives her a goblet of wine dosed with a hint of vitality potion. "You are improving."

"Not fast enough," the younger cousin takes a sip from the goblet.

"You have mastered scrying, levitation, moving objects, control of the elements-"

Morgana interrupts, "Not-"

But so does her cousin, "-To a great extent, I know, which is why I said 'mastered' instead of 'master of,' but come now, cousin, have patience," the older woman advises. "You know not all of us can be Morgause."

Morgana chuckles at that. Her elder sister, the oldest of the three Le Fays daughter and the only one who handled her magic as effortlessly as picking up leaves from the ground and throwing them to the wind so they dance in the breeze. Many years now have passed since they were children, but the youngest Le Fays are sure that Morgause's magic is still as powerful and grand as ever and in her complete control. Morgana obviously has trouble with this, but as much as she hides it, as does Estella. The daughter of Valeria rarely if ever shows her inabilities. She knows that through all of this, Morgana needs her to stand strong and at least _look_ invincible, since she cannot completely _be_ as such.

"Any news on Morgause?" she then asks her elder cousin.

She shakes her head, "Not that I know of." The duchess sighs, "She would have done a better job with this than me – training you." Morgana turns to look at her cousin. There is an unreadable expression on her face, but then she turns to face her, "I know how hard this is for you, to try and catch up to the level you are meant to be on with your powers and if we could switch places, I would stand in you place so you would not have to struggle and I would in your stead."

Morgana smiles, "I know you would… but as we have learned, we are Le Fays and we face whatever trials come our way and no matter what, we face them together."

They share a soft laugh until they hear Arthur yelling and suddenly Estella's door slamming. After a moment, the prince walks into the bedchambers where the two women are.

"Father has summoned us now for dinner," he announces to them.

The eldest of the three then speaks, "Well, we are ready, but may I ask what all that noise was?"

"Merlin trying to sneak into here," Arthur answers and then grins, "And as we know, I am the only man allowed in your chambers, Cousin."

"You know that can be taken several different ways," Morgana quips with a smirk on her lips.

The prince is taken aback at her wit (he has been deprived of it for awhile), "Wel- well, you know what I mean." He gives them a dry look. Although, their cousin notices a certain glint in both Arthur and Morgana's eyes.

"Yes, thankfully we do," she intercedes to stop any further conversation. "Now let's go, I am quite famished." Their cousin then takes them by the sleeves and drags them out of her chambers. (She may love them, but they are _not_ making up in her rooms).

* * *

In the stands, on the dais set for royalty, there are five chairs rather than the usual four. In the middle is the king's, to the right, Morgana, garbed in purple and teal, sits in her usual seat to Estella's left. To her right are Estella's knights who are not competing, her Ladies, and Gwen and Hefina. On the other side, sits Agravaine and his ward Elaine, both looking ostentatious in their jeweled clothes. Their guards are sitting in the section to their left.

Along with all the crimson and gold, there is midnight blue and gray. The crowds cheer as the knights, bearing the crest of their houses, begin to enter the jousting pitch on their horses. When they are lined up in front of the royal dais, the king stands to give his introduction speech.

"Knights of the realm, welcome to Camelot. You have trained for this day and now your bravery, strength and your skill will be put to the test. Today you will fight for glory and for honor. For this is the ultimate test of courage. And it will be the measure of you as men. For only the most skilful, the most fearless among you will emerge as a worthy champion, not only for the title but also the chance of escorting Lady Estella de Bois, Duchess of Caerleon to the feast at the end of this tourney." The king graces his niece with a smile as she lowers her gray gaze onto the knights before her. Of course all of them are staring at herself and her cousin beside her. Uther then continues, "I would also like to thank you all for your attendance of this event. For this may be a competition, but it is also to honor a great woman who could not be with us today." His eyes are distant and sad, but he refuses to look weak in front of the crowds so he quickly buries his melancholy and remorse and calls for the tournament to begin.

The king allows for himself not to dwell on his wife's memory as he watches the event with enthusiasm. His brother-in-law and the Lady beside him seem entertained, as well. The duchess and her cousin, however, are wincing whenever the lances break and someone falls heavily to the ground. At one point, one of the fallen jousters is dragged by his foot by the horse.

Before Arthur's last joust, Morgana somehow catches sight of one of the spectators in the opposite stands. He is at the very top, sitting amongst people and yet isolated from them. He is dark-skinned, more than Gwen with an even darker look in his eye as he stares at the prince. The way his expression is set… it is almost predatory. And for the rest of the time, the Lady has her eyes on the strange man, until Arthur is safely away in his tent and Estella calls out to her.

When they are alone, Morgana speaks of the man and her anxiety about him. Estella does not like what she hears, but she does not know who this man could be. They decide to keep this information between them unless something comes up. He is only one man after all. Whoever he is, if he is after Arthur, the Le Fays can handle him and there is also their mothers and of course Merlin watching out for the prince.

* * *

It is early evening when Merlin finishes the chores of repairing Arthur's lances, polishing his armor, grooming his horse, and then gathering herbs for Gaius. On his way from the forest, back to the castle, he decides to visit Gwen.

It is a friendly visit of course. The manservant had thrown away his former feelings for the maid and the wounds from her choosing Lancelot have healed. Unfortunately for Merlin, he has now been pursuing a most unattainable woman indeed. Estella de Bois is not only the king's niece and his master's cousin, but a ruling duchess in her own right, as well as a Le Fay and the women of this family are known to for their want to seem out of reach of all men (at least that is what Gaius told him once).

"Merlin!" the warlock looks up at the sound of Gwen's voice to see that he had been so deep in thought that he unceremoniously entered Gwen's house.

"Err, sorry Gwen, I meant to knock, but I guess I was too lost in my mind." He apologizes sheepishly.

The younger woman smiles graciously, accustomed to her friend's somewhat strange habits "It's alright; you know you are always welcome."

Merlin smiles and nods as his form of greeting to Lancelot (they're on pleasant terms again, even though the knight is unaware of Merlin's past feelings) who is standing at Gwen's table – which is littered with lilies, freesias, and delphiniums – next to a pretty and petite, fair-haired woman. The warlock recalls her face but not her name. She approaches him. "So you are, Merlin," she smiles, "I'm Duchess Estella's maid Hefina."

He smiles and shakes her hand and then gestures to table, "What are all the flowers for?"

Gwen moves to Lancelot's side, "Hefina and I are making the victory garland. It is tradition that the winner of the tournament crowns a woman, usually one he is or intends to court or even marry and if he is married his wife of course, with a wreath of flowers."

"King Uther himself asked for Queen Ygraine's hand after the first joust during his reign," Hefina adds.

Lancelot asks curiously, "What happened last year?"

"Prince Arthur won, as you know, and, as expected, every woman coveted that garland, but the prince chose to crown his cousin to honor his mother and her house. He mostly likely will do the same thing this year if he wins again," Hefina says.

"Well, I disagree," Gwen remarks.

Merlin quirks a brow in interest, "Why?"

The maid smiles in an almost conspiratorial way, "I did say once Merlin, _'some people are just born to be queen'_ I still stand by that." And no one in the room needs to voice what she means by that.

"Hmm, well, we'll see then. I should be getting these to Gaius," the dark-haired servants gestures to his basket, "I'll see you later," he says to the three and they wave to him as he leaves.

* * *

It is quite late in the night as Morgana lurks the corridors of the castle. Despite the increase in the guards, she has no fear of getting caught; she has taken to walking with the shadows as Estella does – and is doing right now. Uther had tried to keep the news of an assassin after his son a secret and for the most part it still is. The only people aside from the king, the prince, the guards, Merlin, and Gaius who know are Agravaine, Elaine, Morgana, and Estella.

And speaking of Elaine… said woman is making her way across the corridor to her chambers. "Well, if it isn't the virtuous Lady Elaine," she turns sharply at the sound of Morgana's voice, "Out for a midnight stroll?"

Elaine scowls in that unattractive way of hers. "Since when is what I do any of _your_ business, Morgana?"

The Lady wrinkles her nose at the scent coming off of the other woman – mud, dirt, sweat, and… the results of her explicit activities outside the castle. "Never is it my concern, but I do wonder if Lord Agravaine knows how much of a slut his ward truly is?" Morgana knows that provoking her is not the smartest of things to do. Elaine has magic as well and is more experienced than she in its practice, but her Le Fay pride gives her boldness that always takes over even when the odds are not (supposedly) in her favor.

The older woman scoffs, "Well, Le Fay, think about your own cousin and _her_ numerous affairs she has right under the king's nose. It is no wonder Agravaine likes me so much more. I am surprised she has not gone down with some sort of outlandish disease."

Morgana narrows her eyes. She knows full well that Estella is no virgin, but all the explicit details her cousin has kept to herself. In spite of this, she knows that the duchess chooses her men carefully and is even more careful to prevent certain 'occurrences', which is why her reputation stands unsullied, unlike Elaine's. "Estella may not be a maiden, but she is no harlot."

"Spoken as a true Le Fay, always wanting to protect family, whether it be from danger or ridicule," Elaine mocks, "But I am sure Estella has not shared her bedchamber activities with you and so you would not really know, would you?"

The Lady remains undaunted. No matter her being uninformed or her ignorance, she stands by her cousin. "There is an assassin roaming Camelot, I think you should go to the safety of your chambers."

Elaine scoffs, "Why should I care about a killer after someone who is not me? We both know you fear not for my life, but Arthur's whose life _is_ in danger."

The tone of hidden glee does not go unnoticed. "If you are somehow involved-"

"What, what will you do little Le Fay?" the other woman taunts. "You are a disgrace to your family, only recently has your magic manifested and to spite of any training you may have had, it was all without the presence of your magic and I am sure you have noticed the difference." She laughs in her sniveling way, "My, how it is that you will keep the prince safe if you can barely watch over yourself with your weak sparks of sorcery?"

The Lady's eyes harden into green crystals. Elaine, of course, does not know the secret of Morgana's magic being forced into dormancy. She believes that her magic had simply been undeveloped itself until now. It is quite a common incident – for one's powers not show to themselves until later in life. "No matter what it takes," she starts in an exceedingly cutting tone, "I _will_ protect Arthur, as he has _always_ protected me." Her eyes glow brilliantly amber and Elaine winces at the sudden pain she feels in her nerves. Morgana then proceeds to walk away from her. The older swears that it is simply the darkness, fatigue, and the beams of moonlight, but an ethereal sort of light emits from the king's ward as she disappears into the shadows.

"Quite an attractive woman," a male voice with a foreign accent comments from the shadows.

Elaine steels herself and glares at the dark-skinned man coming out from the behind the tapestry. "I hired you, Myror, to do what you do best and that is _not_ lust after so-called beautiful women!"

"I may be an assassin, Lady Elaine, but I am also a man, so I will observe when great beauty is before me," Myror replies smoothly, "Especially if it is that of a Le Fay."

"Unless you want your head on a spike, I suggest you get to doing your job correctly." She moves to walk away but he grabs her wrist tightly and she gasps.

"You were the one who wanted for me to intimidate him, shame him, and then kill him," he reminds the woman, "What better way than to make the prince become wary of my presence, make him lose the tournament, and kill him at the end?"

Elaine breaths sharply through her nose, "I have put a very generous bounty on Arthur's head and have given you extra pleasures as payment for his death, so where Knight Valiant failed me, I sincerely hope you succeed." Yanking her wrist back, she briskly walks to her chambers, rubbing her sore wrist while trying not to look back at the assassin's predatory expression set on her.

* * *

"Stop fidgeting," Merlin demands as he helps Arthur with his armor.

The prince scoffs, "I am not fidgeting."

"Yes you are," the boy insists.

"No, I am not," he nearly growls to his servant.

Merlin laughs a bit, "You're nervous."

Tightening his gloves, "I am not nervous, I don't get nervous. We have been over this."

The servant steps back as the prince gets up. "But last time it was the final for just a sword-to-sword duel, this time, it is a joust while you also have an assassin out for your head and he has managed to already get you as a warning that he _is_ after you," Merlin points to the bandage covering the wound where a thin arrow had hit Arthur earlier that day, ironically, it is the same spot that Sir Leon hit during the practice joust. "So, with all that over your head, if I were you I would be anxious."

"Well, this is why you are not me then, because unlike you _I_ can handle an assassin in the shadows lurking around and jousting while injured," Arthur throws back. A woman clearing her throat interrupts their banter. Turning to the tent flap they see Morgana, behind her is Estella with her face turned away. "Get out," the prince commands.

The warlock's eyes are on the duchess, "Huh."

Rolling his eyes and shoving his servant, "Get out, Merlin."

"Oh, right," as Morgana steps into the tent and out of the boy's way, he stumbles over his feet and nearly runs into Estella who closes the tent flap.

"Do always have to be so mean to him?"

Arthur shrugs, "If he would learn to leave when he should and learn to just keep his mouth shut then we would not have a problem. But I am not _that_ terrible to him." And she sighs because the latter part is quite right; there are masters and mistresses out there who are much worse.

The atmosphere becomes tense, as it always is, when the prince and the Lady are alone. The woman walks over to the man and gently runs her fingers on his bandage, her eyes not meeting his. "Are you alright?" she asks.

He knits his eyebrows as he looks at the anxiety wrought into her fine features and of course, he hates to see her this way, "Are you worried?"

She gives him an annoyed look, "I asked you a question first."

"But you seem more out of sorts than I," Arthur points out, "So I thought I should interrogate you, as well." Her eyes finally meet his but she is silent, "Alright, how about we answer both questions at the same time."

Slowly she nods and after a moment's pause, they both say, "Yes," but once again they are quiet.

Finally Morgana pulls back her hand and steps away from Arthur, "I should allow you to ready yourself for the final joust." She turns to leave but the prince stops her.

"Wait… are you really going to just come in here and then just leave like that?" he sounds incredulous.

Morgana cannot help but smile at his petulant tone, "Come now, Arthur, you are well, so there is no point in me staying with you. So, be a brave prince and just voice whatever it is you desire."

The prince then grins wickedly, "Well, I don't think we'll have time for what I really desire at this moment." She blushes slightly. "But a kiss or a favor from you would be nice."

The Lady laughs as she goes back to him and pins a silver wyvern brooch with a pearl for an eye to his gambeson, "Good luck."

"I don't need luck," his smirk and arrogant tone earns him a dry look. "Although…" the prince runs his finger along the woman's jaw and of course, she interrupts his sign. Leaning forward, she kisses him soundly on the lips while he pulls her close.

Ever so slowly, Morgana moves her hands down his chest and to his confusion she pushes him away, "There _is_ still a joust for you to win, Arthur," she reminds him.

And with that said, the both of them leave the tent. Arthur goes to his horse and Merlin hands him his lance while the Ladies go to their seats.

**...**

Morgana's breath hitches as she sees the glint of a sharp point on the lance of Arthur's opponent. She moves to alert someone of this, but Estella catches her. _"If you say something, he may attack you,"_ her cousin warns.

_"But Arthur-,"_ the jousters charge toward each other and without thinking, but with her heart racing, Morgana's eyes turn amber and the lance tip breaks.

By the time Myror rebalances his lance, due to the lost of the point, Arthur meets him and unhorses him. The people cheer loudly for their prince's victory. The assassin falls and is stabbed by his broken tip. The guards quickly take him away after Estella informs the king of the man's try to kill the prince in the tournament.

The prince removes his helmet and trades it for the victory garland from Merlin. He rides along the list and approaches the royal dais. Arthur pauses, apprehension freezing his actions. But after a moment, an invisible force seems to steer his hand holding the lance bearing the wreath toward a direction and the king sees this.

The king's ward looks with wide eyes at the flowers on Arthur's lance before her. Her cousin elbows her and then the younger woman rises from her seat and accepts the garland. The crowds cheer once more as the prince goes on a victory lap, but his eyes locked with Morgana's.

Uther smiles proudly at the sight. The wind picks up and he hears a gentle laugh and feels a soft caress on his cheek. "Ygraine," he whispers.

The king knows that it was she who was the force their son felt. This year, Arthur is of age to be king and Ygraine guided his hand to crown his queen.

* * *

**Author's Note: Thanks for reading and please review. If there's anything that you'd like to see in future chapters, let me know, I'll try to put it in. **


	16. Chapter 16

**Author's Note: I hate giving you guys excuses for why I don't update quicker but can't help it, my life is extremely busy and some unexpected stuff came up these last couple weeks so… yea, not gonna give you the nice, long list, cause I'm sure you prefer a nice, long chapter, which this one is pretty long. Also, I was completely freaking out about whether or not the characters felt OOC in this. To me, I think they are OOC from what we are used to seeing in the show, but they fit for the story, so if you don't like the OOC, sorry. And if we haven't noticed yet, I'm kinda sorta completely moving away from the show's story lines, so things can fit into mine. So yea, please keep this in mind.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin.**

* * *

The Nightmare Begins

After an extended visit with the Druids, The Chief High Priestess has now returned to the Isle of the Blessed. This night, she stands at her balcony, unable to sleep. Nimueh is tired – tired not only from her inability to rest, but because of the king of Camelot. Uther Pendragon, the reason that so many of her kind lost their lives, the reason for all her anger, all her spite, all her hate… and yet the Druids… she cannot fathom how they are willing to forgive the tyrant for his actions. Yes, they are a peaceful people, sorcerers who are only looking to find ways to heal, but Uther is the reason that countless of them are not alive today. He persecuted them over two decades ago and he continues to do so to this very day… well he did…

Over the last few months, Camelot has been relatively quiet, in regards to seeking out those with magic that is. Normally, the king sends out his son and knights to persecute any magic users in the land, regardless of who they are. However, it seems that the elder Pendragon has followed Nimueh's lead and pulled back his offense. He is most likely just waiting for her to strike again… if she ever did again.

While among her people, the priestess had had time to reflect. The weeks she spent sheltered by trees and greenery, surrounded by the essence of tranquility, and comforted by warmth and love, it was everything that the Isle of the Blessed used to be for her – for everyone who possessed magic, it was a safe haven. While it still acts as such, the Isle itself is only a shadow of what it was.

The castle walls used to be of white-gray, now smoldered charcoal from the ashes. The mist, which has always been thick and taunting no longer invites visitors, it oppresses trespassers, suffocates you if you are not an ally. The magical essence of life remains, but it only exists, it does not stand to offer life or peace any longer.

Nimueh sighs restlessly. Now, she has decided to pull back all her offenses completely; no longer will she take vengeance upon Uther Pendragon and his family. It is a shock even for herself that she made this decision, but when she was with the Druids, she found peace. Her hatred and anger remained at the back of her mind, but she was… content. The priestess cannot say that she was happy, but she is tired of opposing the king (and she senses that he grows tired of opposing her, as well). Yes, they will remain on opposite sides until Uther is willing to put aside his prejudice but she will never forgive him. She has lost too much. Her happiness died with her younger sister and the disappearance of her daughter.

She suppresses a sob. Nimueh had promised herself that she would let it go. That she would mourn her lost child in the weeks around her kidnapping and then would move on with her life, forgetting that she ever carried a child, forgetting that only three months after her birth, the daughter was taken from her. But as a mother _always recognizes_ her child, how can she ever _forget_ her child.

The priestess can see lightning and hear thunder in the distance. A storm is looming in the north, near Camelot from the looks of it. A particularly bright bolt strikes and the impact on the earth seems to implant a sear of pain to her temple. She puts two fingers to it to rub away the pain but the touch causes a vision to flash across her thoughts. Of course, this cannot be ignored. Nimueh immediately runs to the enchanted basin within the caverns of the small cave. After pouring the water, she only needs to cling to what she saw in her mind while passing a hand over the water to see the vision fully and completely.

Nimueh places her hands on either side of the stone to keep herself from leaning forward. The vision shows herself, holding a small bundle in her arms. It is one of her happy memories from the time of the Great Purge – the day her daughter was born. The tableau shifts and changes to her child cooing in her wooden crib, three months later. Nimueh had her back turned and when she turned around, all she saw was a stranger covered from head to toe in black, with the infant in their arms. Her magic did not affect the thief but whoever they were got away with her precious baby. Another shift and then there is a young girl of about eighteen in the reflection of the water. She has black hair falling about her shoulders and dark brown eyes filled with soft wonder. She is sitting amongst the grass picking flowers.

One long look at the young girl and Nimueh knows… she is her daughter. Varying degrees of shock, relief, and confusion go through her, but there is only one question in her head. "_Where is she?_" the priestess demands with a hiss.

But the water does not give her the answer she wants. It shows her a dark room, where a young woman is flinching in her sleep. Despite the absence of light, Nimueh sees that it is Vivienne's daughter, Morgana. The vision shifts to another room, showing another Le Fay, this one tossing and turning – Estella. Yet again, the scene changes and this time she sees her daughter again, her hair is damp and her face has smudges of dirt, but she is smiling and the source of the grin is…Merlin? The water stills and shows Nimueh her own reflection in the cave.

Nimueh is breathless as she sinks to the ground and leans against the basin with her hand in a fist against her rapidly beating heart. "Freya," she whispers to the darkness, "you are alive."

* * *

Arthur is having the dream again. He sees the girl surrounded by twirling petals, he sees the other approaching the boy, and he sees through the boy's eyes. However, everything is _crystal clear_ and the girl is now in front of him and he knows her… she is his cousin, ten years ago, Estella.

_Estella smiles softly at him, "Come on, Art," she says holding out her hand. He lifts his hand up, but hesitates. "You said you aren't afraid."_

_ Shaking his head he says simply, "I don't understand."_

_ "Take my hand and you will see," she tells him. Slowly, he does so, and then he is engulfed and blinded by light._

The images he sees cause him to thrash in his sleep. He feels as though he is stretching towards the edges of his sanity as he sees things that he half deems impossible. And yet he _knows_, in the darkest corners of his mind, he _knows _what he sees is no figment of his imagination or someone magically invading his mind. What he sees are old memories that have somehow escaped his recollection and are now coming back to him. The last thing he sees is darkness before shooting up from his bed.

Arthur runs a hand through his damp golden locks. His entire body is covered in sweat, his breathing rough, and his blue eyes wildly wide.

Merlin looks up from the door as he enters with the prince's breakfast. Observing his master's appearance with a crinkled forehead, he asks, "Are you alright, Sire?" Arthur's answer is an unintelligible grunt. The servant smirks jokingly saying, "Have a nightmare, Sire? You must be spending too much time with Morgana."

"Get out," the prince demands irritably. Usually he is not as brash, but he cannot deal with his servant's quirky humor right now. His dreams… memories… whatever they are, still unsettle him.

Merlin brow knits, "But I have to-"

"Do it later," the prince tells him, "Leave my breakfast and go." He then does so without another word, but he shakes his head at his master's strange behavior before he shuts the door behind him.

Arthur paces around his bedchambers, while constantly running a hand through his hair. He contemplates on what the best course of action is. He cannot deny that what he 'dreamed' was real. But what to do, he is not sure at all. Confronting his cousin would be a good start he supposes and then Morgana or maybe if he can catch them both at the same time…

And it appears that Morgana always seems to have an uncanny ability of knowing when he is thinking about her, for right at that moment she enters his chambers. She is garbed in a silver gown made of light velvet. The style of it reminds him of what Estella would typically wear, but that is not unusual, the two always exchange dress styles and such. In fact the fabric itself looks like one of the many that Estella had given to her younger cousin for her most recent birthday. She walks toward him with a soft smile, appraising his pacing, "You look like a lion brooding in his cage."

"Umm…" the prince could only stare at her, unable to decide between blurting out what he just dreamt or saving the conversation for later.

Her brow furrows, "Are you alright? You seem out of sorts." Morgana puts the back of her hand to his forehead while scrutinizing his face. "You did drink quite a bit last night."

Arthur rubs his face tiredly, "Morgana, don't worry, I'm fine." She gives him a skeptical look. "Really, I am _fine_, Morgana."

The Lady then moves her arms and links them around his neck, "So you were pacing because…?"

"Wanted to make sure that I am still sane after all the wine and ale," he shrugs, it is only a half lie and even if Morgana saw through it (and she did), she lets it slip.

"Hmm…" she purses her lips, "I swear you develop some of the strangest habits. Is Merlin rubbing off on you?" she teases.

The prince gives her a mock sneer, "Haha, you are extremely witty," he places his hands on her waist, "But no matter how 'strange' you presume me to be, you love me anyway."

Surprise flickers into her sea green gaze as he stiffens. This falls under the subject of their 'we both know it, let's not voice it, yet' deal – the unspoken depth of their feelings that the both of them are not really ready to bring up and yet it continues to creep upon them.

Ever so slowly, she runs the tips of her fingers from his neck to his shoulders, her nails slightly grazing his bare skin, causing him to shiver. The conflict in her eyes reveals her debate over what is the best thing to say. Finally she settles with, "I'm glad you know it." There is only a hint of amusement, but the brilliant truth of it all glowing in her features and radiating from her touch causes a smile to grace on both their lips until they meet in a sweet kiss. She nips at his bottom lip and he returns the gesture while slowly inching her towards the bed. Morgana does not realize what Arthur is doing until she feels his sheets brush against the back of her dress.

She abruptly breaks the kiss and just before he pushes her onto his bed, she turns the tables on him and he ends up with his back against the mattress. The prince has a wicked remark on his tongue, but that dies down when he sees the look on his Lady's face that clearly says 'not going to happen.' He almost feels inclined to protest, but he throws away that idea too. Arthur then resigns to laying on his bed and giving his best puppy dog eyes to Morgana.

Her stern expression crumbles and she almost whines when she says, "Don't look at me like that."

He does not play innocent and simply asks, "Well, I am a man who was just denied something he wants, so what do you expect me to look like?"

"It is not like you have any conjugal rights when it comes to me, Arthur," she jokingly scoffs, but then stiffens and avoids his eyes.

Another topic that they are putting away until they _must_ discuss it – the subject of their union; it is not really something his father has raised as an issue for them. They personally did not really think or ask about it… yet. But since Arthur had given Morgana the victory garland, the gossips have been newly lit afire within the court of Camelot. Many expect a wedding soon, others predict one later, and a few even reject the idea, calling it preposterous given the current relationship – one of bickering rivals – of the prince and the ward. And Uther is in a place of no public opinion on the matter while the two involved hold their tongues and say nothing on the subject. What is between them is just for them to know (for now), aside from outsiders they deem worthy to know and the simpering courtiers of Camelot are not part of that group.

"Go back to sleep," she leans down and he is almost fearful that she will tease him then slap him. However, she simply hovers over him, allowing him to be engulfed by her warm presence and her rose scent until he relaxes and closes his eyes. Morgana kisses him, whispering against his lips, "I'll see you later," and she then leaves his chambers.

Arthur exhales, "I guess confronting Estella is what I'm doing first," he says softly, still a little lightheaded, while looking up at the drapes on his bed.

* * *

Merlin fidgets uncomfortably in the corridor with the large bunch of wildflowers in his hands. How in the world he has been convinced that this is a good idea, he cannot understand. Sure he remembers though.

Last night had been the feast for the Autumn Equinox. Duchess Estella apparently was on a drinking overindulgence. Merlin had been in charge of serving the wine and as she had been downing every refill, the servant spent the night at her side, pouring when necessary. That is until she left the feast early to retire for the night. Lancelot – hiding in a dim corner – called Merlin over and confronted him on his attentions toward his mistress. Merlin denied it all but the knight saw through his friend and encouraged the servant to act.

Alright, this is how the warlock has ended up here, standing outside Estella de Bois' chambers, looking like an utter fool. He has almost turns around to hide away in his chamber, but unconsciously he knocks on the door.

Hefina is the one who answers, "Merlin," she greets with surprise coloring her voice.

"Umm…" he is dumbstruck, he had not really thought up an excuse for being there with flowers.

The maid brow furrows with confusion, but she points the bouquet in the boy's hands, "Beautiful flowers."

Merlin slightly jumps at that, "Uhh, yeah, they are… they are for D-D-Duchess Estella."

Smiling at his stuttering, she says, "Unfortunately she cannot come to receive them herself, still sleeping off the wine from last night."

"It's alright," the boy says immediately, almost throwing the flowers into Hefina's arms, "I j-just wanted to give her something to make her feel better. I've noticed she seems quite… uh not… well."

She chuckles lightly as Merlin flushes, "I'll let her know who they're from." The warlock nods quickly and almost scurries away while almost tripping over his feet.

**...**

Merlin sighs heavily as he reaches the bottom of the stairs without injuring himself. The most frightening feat of his day is over now. He will just have to face the results of his actions later on.

"This has to stop," the deep voice of the prince proclaims as he walks up to his servant. He has been observing Merlin for awhile now and while he tolerated his servant's faraway interest in his cousin, acting upon his feelings is the last straw, "The king would have your head if he found out, so there's no point denying it."

Though he thinks he knows what his master is speaking of, he is going to play innocent, "Denying what?"

Arthur can see through the act, "Your affections for Duchess Estella." The prince continues before Merlin can refute the issue further, "She will never accept someone such as you." The servant flinches at that, "I don't mean to sound harsh, but it is the truth. Estella holds a large group of followers and allies, but a small number of friends and even less of them are men and from my perspective, she has no intentions of wedding. So, for your own safety, stick to girls who are more... on your level," he advises, "Because she can't be her friend, let alone anything else."

Of course, Merlin knows all this… at least he believes he does. But he just… feels that he must pursue this woman. Nonetheless, he is not going to tell her cousin this. So dejectedly, he says, "Yeah, I know, I just..."

"Can't help yourself," Arthur interjects for him, "That is usually how it is, but remember what I said. I don't want a brokenhearted manservant." The prince then moves to the stairs and quickly walks up them. Merlin almost protests, since Estella is still asleep, but decides against it and turns to go to Gaius' chambers.

**...**

Estella groans as Hefina pulls back her covers and shakes her shoulders. "Come now, my Lady, you must wake. It is past midday."

"But I have no duties here, so there is no point for me to leave my bed," the duchess points out while burying her head into her pillows.

"Oh, I must have misheard, Estella Le Fay dismissing duty?" the maid declares in mock disbelief.

Her voice is muffled by the pillows, "It is not _dismissing_ if you have _none_."

The younger girl smirks but her face falls when she notices that her mistress is wearing a fading, royal blue with silver embroidery, male tunic that used to be too big for her. "You still wear it," she observes.

Estella roughly throws her head up, sighing, "Yes…"

Hefina twists the pink fabric of her dress, admitting, "I'm… I'm torn between telling you to hold on and telling you to let go."

"Me too," the duchess tells her. Oh, she has been trying to convince herself that letting him go is best, that clinging onto the memories and traditions and hurts will only cause her pain and in turn, others as well, but… his hold on her is stronger than she cares to admit.

And as always the maid is the one who defuses the tension when it comes to this, "Well it is a good thing you always do most things halfway."

The older woman laughs humorlessly, "Well, it has kept me alive so far." She moves off of her bed but her landing results with her on the floor. Hefina chuckles at the sight. "Simply laughing at me, instead of helping me, what kind of friend are you?"

Hefina smirks at this; it is a constant joke between them. Yes, they have the relationship of that of a mistress and maid as well as a friendship now, but do they actually label it as such, not at all. It leaves room for amusing jests such as these. "Well, we are not _friends_ now, are we? So there is no need to help you since you want the aid of a friend."

Whipping her raven curls out of her face she remarks, "You are right, what was I thinking?" The maid then moves to help the duchess into a chair anyway and gives her an elixir for the after effects of the alcohol and then watered down wine to eliminate the taste of the concoction.

Before Hefina can mention Merlin's flowers that she put in the corner of the chamber, the door is slammed open and the prince suddenly enters. "I need to speak with you," Arthur proclaims to the raven-haired woman and glancing at Hefina, adds, "In private." The maid bows to the cousins and then leaves the room.

Leaning her head against her hand she drawls, "So… to what do I owe this pleasure?" Arthur begins to pace without answering her. Eyeing his action, "You know I do not want a hole in my floor because of all that."

"It is stone," he tells her irately, "I doubt I can actually even dent them by pacing." The prince then stops and stares down his cousin. She sits unaffected by his stern expression. "You practice magic," he states bluntly without preamble.

She nods and then shrugs, "So does Morgana, but then again, I think you know that."

He scoffs in frustration and then goes to her wine, taking a large gulp from a goblet. "How can you treat this conversation so lightly?"

"The rest of me is feeling heavy today," she answers, "Why add to the load?"Her cousin glares at her. "Fine," she concedes, "I will be serious, but let us talk about _how_ you found this out."

Slowly, Arthur sinks into a chair at the table. Sighing he starts, "I've been having a dream. It starts with the day that you, Morgana, and I are playing in the meadows just outside of the city and I was injured after falling out of a tree. But I know now the falling part was a trick. I see flashing lights and the next thing I know, Morgana's eyes glow amber and some flower petals start to dance around her. Then everything turns black. You appear to me, saying that I will understand what was going on if I took your hand. I did and then a light swallows us. Then I see myself and Owain lying on the floor in one of the guest chambers that we would all play in, two women cast some sort of spells on us and then that's it," he concludes abruptly.

"That is not all of it," she surmises.

"But you already know all of it," he accuses. "And I want an explanation."

His cousin wastes no time to give him that, "One day when we were children, you caught Morgana and me sneaking out of the city. You followed us and caught us using our magic. Morgana begged you to not tell your father and your adolescent naivety allowed for you to hear us out. For weeks afterward we explained the art of magic to you, its uses, its potency, its true nature – everything you heard refuted almost everything the king taught you." Her gray gaze is icy as she continues with her brutally honest manner. "You were willing to overlook what your father said and to almost accept that what we told you is truly right.

"That day, when we were leaving the castle, Owain caught us as you did weeks before. He was not so accepting of our craft and threatened to tell Uther. Mine and Morgana's mother learned of this and of the fact that you knew our secret and they could not allow for it. A spell was cast on you and Owain to forget what you saw and for you to forget what we taught you about magic, but Aunt Vivienne was fearful that fragments of memories would come back to you, so Morgana was made part of the spell, her memories being locked away and the spells staying in place by harvesting on her own magic. I was allowed to remember as I would be her guardian and yours when – and in your case _if_ – the memories returned." She briefly pauses, "Owain forgot, but your recollections were stored away as Morgana were because of your connection," his cousin does not specify on this, "Morgana's memories returned as did her magic and then your memories followed as her magic's potency grew," she concludes.

Arthur is silent as he takes this all in. He is not sure how he should feel about all this. His cousin and Morgana both possess magic and furthermore they have kept this secret from him, because they live under the roof of a man who would condemn them for sorcery. "Estella, you are the niece of the king, the cousin of the crowned prince, Morgana is the king's ward and the two of you are sorceresses living in a kingdom where magic is outlawed. Does that not sound… unsettling to you."

"Are you planning on turning us in?" she questions casually.

"Of course not," he answers immediately, although he does shift a bit uncomfortably in the chair and averts his eyes.

"But you are still unsure of what to think or feel about this, since we usually do not have secrets, cousin."

Arthur looks back up at the older woman, "Are there any other secrets?"

"The ones of my _personal_ life," she grins wryly at him, "But I don't think you want know those."

He grimaces slightly and though there is so much more to ask, he has already been told so much that he must mull over. "Very good assumption," he says and gets up from the chair.

Estella does as well, "Well, it is also nice to know that we can still discuss anything as we always did and no immediate judgment is passed on any side."

This the way they – Arthur, Morgana, and Estella – are. Whatever comes up in their lives, they will lay it all out and then leave it on the sides for their own personal contemplations while living on as they usually do, until the time comes for decisions to be made or something is to be done, but nothing changes, not right away.

Arthur pauses before leaving, "You are like a sister to me and no matter what you do or keep from me, I will always have some trust in you and your judgment, because more often than not, you know better than me," he promises.

The duchess gratefully smiles, but it falters for a bit, "That does apply to Morgana as well, right? - The trust part?"

The prince grins, "Why wouldn't it?"

Smiling, "Well that is good to hear," Estella then flops back onto her bed, "Now you are going to leave while I continue to sleep off the flagons of wine I drank."

Arthur chuckles while drawing the covers over his cousin, "I love you, 'Stella."

"Love you too, Art," her words muffled by the covers and pillows, "Remember to speak with Morgana, too. Now get out," She finishes good-naturedly.

He does so, but not before noticing Merlin's bunch of flowers in the corner. Estella seems oblivious to them, but her cousin takes note as to mention them to her later.

* * *

Arthur is just entering his chambers to prepare for his hunt when Morgana once again struts in. She does not give him a chance to speak first though, "You know about Estella and me." The prince can only nod numbly once he registers her quick statement. Silence settles between them as Morgana looks at him anxiously and he stares at a spot just past her right shoulder. "Say something," she half-commands, "_Anything_."

He heaves a heavy sigh, "I am not sure what to say or feel…" she waits, he then decides to ask, "Were you ever going to tell me, yourself?" the prince knows that his cousin would have eventually, but Morgana, he is slightly uncertain of the answer.

She nods slowly, "If I had to, then yes."

Hurt flickers into the prince's eyes, "If you _had_ to?"

"Arthur," the Lady moves closer to him, "You may act like an idiot, hell, sometimes you _are_ an idiot, but you are not stupid or a fool – you would have learned of it for yourself."

This makes him smile, but noticing her downcast expression, his lightened one falters, "What is it?"

"Magic isn't something you choose, Arthur," she emphasizes to him, "Magic chooses you. It is passed down in the family – through every generation there is at least one for those who possess it."

"I know that," his brow furrows, Estella explained this to him when he first found out about their magic and since he now remembers and things have been explained, there is clarity to his jumbled thoughts, "Why are you telling me what I already know?"

Vulnerability and fear shines in her crystal green gaze, "I… I don't want you to forget it… or think any less of me or look at me differently."

"I won't," he tells her certainty firm in his tone, "On all accounts." Putting a hand to gently touch her cheek, "You are still Morgana, what you are is what you are, it is how you were born. I can't change that nor do I want or wish to."

She laughs softly and smiles at his words, "Is that how you look at everyone else?"

"I judge a person by their character and actions," he grins, "As I have learned from you."

The Lady returns his beaming expression. "Well," she starts, "I shall let you prepare for your hunt now. Estella is… giving me a _lesson_," of course, this means she about to practice her magic.

She starts to leave, but he stops her. "Morgana… be careful… both of you," he precautions softly.

Morgana smiles walking back to him and giving him a lingering kiss, "You too," she whispers and then leaves him.

* * *

Morgana looks around at the trees of the Forest of Balor. She, Estella, and Lancelot have been summoned here by Nimueh. For what, they do not know, but because of this venture, the Le Fays had to reveal some secrets to a select few of people.

First, Lancelot, since he is in their company while coming to meet the Chief High Priestess of the Old Religion, was informed of the identities of Morgana and Estella as Le Fays. He was spared the details of it all and he graciously did not ask or question, continuing on as if things did not change. Thankfully he has such a noble character as to do such. And since he knows about Merlin and still is his friend, he gives the same blessing to the duchess and her cousin.

Gaius was then told about Morgana's magical training since he was not privy to that knowledge (nor about the storing away memories part, but he doesn't need to know that). He may have been a friend to the Old Religion but that position of his dissipated when he chose Uther's side during the Purge, (it is only the Le Fays who know _why_ he did that). The Le Fays still keep secrets from him though, he may be a trustworthy person, but some things must remain with _just_ the family. However, his part of being able to know about the training and the journey is so he can keep up the ruse of Estella being under the weather.

The duchess sees no one but Gaius, Morgana, and the maids when she is ill, so this deception is kept up so that the king does not know what his niece and ward are really doing. Merlin overheard their planning and he was let in on it. Thankfully, he had to go with Arthur for the hunt, so he had no part to play, unless Arthur's party returned before they did.

The trio reaches a clearing where there is a large boulder in the center. The women feel the presence of magic around them, so they dismount their horses to look around, Lancelot close by them.

"Do you know what used to be here?" questions the voice of the High Priestess as she steps out from the surrounding trees. She is different from the last time Estella encountered her. Her stormy blue eyes seemed calm. She is dressed in a rose red robe with the hood up and a gold belt around her waist, her once wildly curled and kinked hair is softly wavy. The image reminds Estella of a painting of the twin Le Fays and Nimueh in their younger years. The current Chief High Priestess looks exactly the same, but a nobility and maturity is there that was not present in the painting or the woman disguised as a maid.

After the three dip their heads out of propriety, Morgana speaks first, "What is it that you want?"

The priestess looks the younger woman up and down, "Such bold words from you second daughter of Vivienne," her eyes shift to the other woman, "And yet it is your cousin who has the greater fire in her eyes. But of course, as much as she is faerie, she is phoenix," there is a glint of a hidden secret in Nimueh's eye, but Estella ignores it, waiting for more words to be said, but the only sounds are those of the forest.

The duchess is treading carefully with this, while her cousin is following her lead. Nimueh is quietly watching the three. Lancelot then decides to speak up, "The village of Benwick," he then feels an utter fool for speaking, but he felt that that is what the priestess wants before continuing, "T-The answer," he clarifies, "To your question."

The priestess smiles softly, "Yes, Sir Lancelot, you are correct. Forgive me, if this stirs up old memories." The Le Fays look between them in confusion. "Perhaps I should begin my tale, so that you three can know why I have summoned you here."

They wait as Nimueh actually seems to lower her superior demeanor and starts speaking again. "When Uther started the Great Purge, no one with magic was safe in his kingdom or any of his allies'. We all were scattered. A group of knights were pursuing me in this forest when a man pulled me behind a large thicket of trees and shrubs. He saw my Druidic pendant and immediately realized why the knights were chasing me but instead of handing me over to them, he took me to his village Benwick, which had become one of the few sanctuaries for those with magic at the time. But a few months later, Uther caught wind of what the villagers were doing. He sent a party over here and would have razed it to the ground had me and my companions not fled before they arrived. I had to leave my widowed savior named Ban and his young son…" she pauses while her blue eyes land on the knight.

Morgana's brow furrows at the action, "Lancelot?"

"Yes," the older woman nods while staring at the shocked man, "It was your father, Lancelot, who saved me and it was he who became the sire of my own child."

"You have a child?" Estella exclaims expressing not only her surprise but that of her companions.

Again, the priestess nods, "A daughter… who was taken from me three months after her birth." Nimueh breaths deeply to steel her composure, "After her abduction, I had to retreat back to the Isle of the Blessed where I was named Chief High Priestess and Lady of the Lake by Vera Le Fay before she died. Her daughter, Vivienne turned down the position because she saw it fit to always be her twin sister's equal and not her superior. But after my ascension, I searched far and wide for my little girl," her voice begins to crack, "After many years, I had to accept the fact that she was gone… until a few nights ago, when the Goddess showed me that my daughter is, in fact, alive." Nimueh walks closer to the trio, "And now, this is my chance to find her, but I cannot be the one to do it, for fear of her abductors learning of my quest and doing more to prevent me from taking my child back. So I need… relative strangers whom I trust to help me."

"And that is us?" Morgana asks, referring to her cousin and herself.

"You may not be my acquaintances, but you are the daughters of my friends and so I put my faith in you to find my daughter," Nimueh has an almost desperate look on her face. "Will you help me?" she then questions with a slight note of fear, fear that they would not give her any aid.

Lancelot and Morgana turn to the duchess, who – after a moment's thought – steps toward the High Priestess and nods her head once, "_Family first, Duty second, and then Honor._ You were raised by a Le Fay and you have lived among Le Fays, you are, in essence, family."

Nimueh smiles gratefully and then moves to explain her plan. She pulls out her Druidic pendant which she says they will use to track her daughter named Freya (they are not sure if this is still her name, but to know it is helpful). A spell will be cast with a sample of blood from both paternal and maternal sides of Freya to track her with the necklace. Placing it on the boulder Nimueh instructs Morgana and Estella to start the spell. The cousins hold hands to ensure their control of the spell. The priestess joins in the chanting as she takes a dagger and pricks her finger, letting the blood drop onto the jewels and then does the same for Lancelot.

When the spell is finished the priestess gives the three her thanks for accepting the task of helping her and returns to the Isle of the Blessed.

* * *

The young Le Fays walk through the Druid camp with the Druid leader, Aglain, at their side. They entrust the Druid king with the information of Nimueh and Freya and they offer a sketch of Freya's face while questioning him on her possible whereabouts. Although they have the pendant, they want to use other methods of searching, as well; in case the spell was faulty (the fact that it has not shown any reaction whatsoever makes Estella suspicious). Aglain, however, knows nothing and says he has never even seen Freya before, but he promises to keep an eye open for her.

"Are you the Le Fays?" asks a young male voice before the two women reach the edge of the campgrounds.

Morgana kneels down to smile and speak to the young boy of about six while Estella tries to hide her shock. The boy is short for his age with a round face, lightly tanned skin, cobalt eyes, and an off-shade of brown hair. With the bare features, it is no doubt whose child he is. "You are Elaine's son," the duchess states plainly.

The other Lady is stunned with this revelation and the boy appears proud, "Her one and only child, actually."

Estella would have snorted at that response, but it brought about another realization. If this boy is Elaine's son, her _one_ and _only_ child, then he is also… Abruptly, the duchess grasps her cousin's arm, "Well, we should be getting home," Ruffling the boy's hair with her left hand to disguise her unease she tells him, "It was nice to meet you…"

"Amhar," he reveals his name.

The raven-haired woman nods and quickly walks away with Morgana. "What was that?"

"Nothing," the elder cousin answers, "You know I am not very comfortable with children."

The response is accepted as the two join Lancelot and the trio mount their horses and makes their way back to Camelot.

It is just as they leave the canopy of trees that Estella notices the dark brown smudges of what appears to be ink on her left hand.

* * *

**Author's Note: Yea, you're probably might tell me, someone is missing here, since there was an opportunity for him to appear, but there kinda wasn't because well… he doesn't exist yet… take from that what you will :). And sorry if I confused anyone with this mess of a chapter.**

**Thanks for reading and please review. Questions, concerns, and other comments are acceptable, as well :).**


End file.
